LONDON — Grand Slam title winners Naomi Osaka, Iga Swiatek and Emma Raducanu all received in Billie Jean King Cup qualifying Friday.
Osaka hit 15 aces and put Japan a step away from reaching the BJK Cup Finals with a 6-2, 7-6 (5) win over Kazakhstan’s Yulia Putintseva. It was the four-time Grand Slam champion’s first match within the crew competitors since February 2020.
Osaka, again on tour after changing into a mom final July, saved all three break factors she confronted and compiled a 31-16 edge in winners. Her win on an indoor laborious court docket in Tokyo adopted Nao Hibino’s 6-1, 6-0 victory over Anna Danilina and gave Japan a 2-0 lead within the best-of-five-match qualifying spherical.
Two different singles matches and one in doubles are scheduled for Saturday.
A complete of 16 nations are concerned in qualifiers on Friday and Saturday, with the winners advancing to the Billie Jean King Cup Finals in Seville, Spain, in November. These eight groups will be a part of defending champion Canada, 2023 runner-up Italy, host Spain and wild-card choice Czech Republic within the 12-country Finals area.
The primary crew to maneuver out of the qualifying spherical was Australia, which eradicated Mexico in Brisbane early Saturday when Taylah Preston simply received 6-1, 6-1 over Marcela Zacarias to make the general rating 3-0. With 2011 U.S. Open champion Sam Stosur serving as Australia’s captain for the primary time, Arina Rodionova beat Mexico’s Giuliana Olmos 3-6, 6-3, 6-1, and Daria Saville defeated Zacarias 6-1, 6-0 for the hosts on an outside laborious court docket Friday. Australia, the runner-up twice within the final 5 years, is looking for its first title since 1974.
In different motion, No. 1-ranked Swiatek and Poland went forward 2-0 at Switzerland, 2021 U.S. Open champion Raducanu helped Britain end Day 1 tied 1-1 at France, the US led Belgium 2-0, Ukraine received each matches towards Romania, Germany was forward of host Brazil 2-0, host Australia took a 2-0 lead over Mexico, and Slovakia was up 2-0 towards visiting Slovenia.
In Orlando, on an outside laborious court docket, Jessica Pegula and Emma Navarro each rotated deficits to beat 19-year-old Belgian opponents because the Individuals acquired off to a 2-0 begin in Lindsay Davenport’s debut because the U.S. captain. Pegula escaped with a 4-6, 6-2, 6-3 victory towards Sofia Costoulas earlier than Navarro topped Hanne Vandewinkel 4-6, 6-4, 6-3.
In Amelia Island, Florida — the place Ukraine selected to play these matches due to its battle with Russia again dwelling — Elina Svitolina was a 6-3, 7-5 winner over Romania’s Jaqueline Adina Cristian on an outside clay court docket, and Lesia Tsurenko beat Ana Bogdan 3-6, 6-2, 6-0.
In Biel, Switzerland, Swiatek — who has received three championships on the French Open and one on the U.S. Open — broke Simona Waltert 5 occasions on an indoor laborious court docket to win 6-3, 6-1, earlier than Magdalena Frech got here again to beat Celine Naef 6-7 (8), 7-5, 6-3.
In Le Portel, France, Raducanu was a set and a break down however reeled off 12 of the subsequent 15 video games to get previous Caroline Garcia 3-6, 6-3, 6-2 on an indoor clay court docket. That pulled Britain even after France’s Diane Parry defeated Katie Boulter 6-2, 6-0.
In Sao Paulo, Germany’s Laura Siegemund defeated Brazil’s Beatriz Haddad Maia 6-4, 6-2, and Tatjana Maria acquired previous Laura Pigossi 2-6, 6-4, 6-4 on an indoor clay court docket.
In Bratislava on an indoor laborious court docket, Anna Karolina Schmiedlova topped Ela Nala Milic 6-4, 6-3, and Viktoria Hruncakova received 6-1, 5-7, 6-3 towards Veronika Erjaveck.
