Kazakhstan started their Billie Jean King Cup finals marketing campaign with victory over hosts Britain on Tuesday whereas seven-times champions Australia noticed off Slovakia in the opening tie.
Formerly referred to as the Fed Cup, the occasion was renamed in honour of American 12-time main winner King and restructured right into a ‘World Cup of tennis’ format concluding with 12 nations competing over one week for the title.
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Yulia Putintseva and Briton Katie Boulter appeared evenly matched after they took one set apiece earlier than the Kazakh 27-year-old stepped up a gear and stormed right into a 4-0 lead in the decider earlier than sealing a 4-6 6-3 6-2 victory.
Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina then sealed the tie in 73 minutes by beating Harriet Dart, profitable seven video games in a row at one level to win 6-1 6-4 and provides Kazakhstan an unassailable 2-0 lead.
“I think she’s an incredible player. She’s Wimbledon champion for a reason, and she brought a very high level from the start. I thought she played a very clean match,” Dart instructed reporters.
“I really don’t think I played that bad. I thought that she kind of took things into her own hands. She’s definitely one of the few players on the tour that can kind of take the match out of your hands.”
Britain had been dealt an enormous blow final month when former U.S. Open champion and their highest-ranked participant Emma Raducanu pulled out of the crew due to a wrist harm.
Britain subsequent face Spain on Thursday.
AUSTRALIA WIN
Earlier, Australia’s Ajla Tomljanovic and Storm Sanders received their singles matches in straight units in their 2-1 win over Slovakia in the opening tie of Group B.
Sanders beat Viktoria Kuzmova 6-4 6-3 whereas Tomljanovic eased previous Anna Karolina Schmiedlova 6-1 6-2.
Tomljanovic has had a very good season in the second half of the 12 months, capped by her quarter-final runs at Wimbledon and the U.S. Open. She has since reached a profession excessive rating of 33.
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“If I have to put it to one thing, it’s just where my head’s at in my life. I think that translates to the court. I’m happy, tennis is fun again,” she stated.
“Even when I’m losing, I’m finding joy, which is really all it’s ever been and it’s supposed to be. I lost it a little bit there for a year or so. But it happens, it’s okay.”
Slovakia did handle to get on the board when the doubles pairing of Kuzmova and Tereza Mihalikova beat Sanders and Ellen Perez 2-6 6-3 10-6.
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