BJK Cup: Krejcikova successfully followed up Vondrousova’s win and the Czechs lead Ukraine 2:0

This week in the women’s tennis calendar is mainly marked by the qualification for the final tournament of the Billie Jean King Cup 2023. The Czechs are leading 2:0 over the Ukrainians after the first day thanks to wins by Markéta Vondroušová and Barbora Krejčíková.

Ukraine was drawn as the home team, but due to known reasons the qualification match had to be moved to neutral ground. This is one of the clay courts of the Megasaray Club in Belek, Turkey.

Vondroušová did not admit any complications at the start, although she faced the 38th player of the WTA singles ranking as the 82nd player in the world. Marta Kostyukova, however, was losing from the very beginning as she lost her first serve.

She then failed to hold serve for the second time in the long fifth game and the 23-year-old Czech jumped out to a 4:1 lead. Moments later, Vondroušová used her opening set point to take the opening set 6:2.

The Ukrainian did not fare well in the second set either. At 5:1, the native of Sokolov in West Bohemia got her fifth break point, which also meant a converted match point. After one hour and 23 minutes the final score was 6: 2, 6: 1.

World No. 12 Krejcikova played a more even match, at least initially, with Katarina Zavacka, who is currently ranked 261st in the singles rankings. When the favourite served to win the first set, she did not hold her serve. However, there was no turnaround, because thanks to the subsequent re-break, the number one player of captain Petr Palá’s selection won 6:4.

Krejčíková did not forgive herself for one lost serve in the second set, but this did not play a major role in the overall context. The tennis player from Ivančice won 6::3 and brought the second point to the Czech team.

On Saturday morning she can add a decisive third in her match with Kostyukova. Vondroušová and Zavacka are entered in the second singles. The captains have nominated Muchova and Noskova and Kichenokova and Jastremska for the eventual doubles, the line-up of which could still change. Live coverage of the entire competition is broadcast by CT Sport.

In the other qualifying matches of the BJK Cup World Group, the Spanish women play the Mexican women, the British women play the French women, the Canadians play the Belgians, the Americans play the Austrians, the Slovaks play the Italians, the Germans play the Brazilians, the Kazakhs play the Poles and the Slovenes play the Romanians.

The main tournament, called the Billie Jean King Cup Finals 2023, will take place from November 7 to 12, with the venue yet to be announced. Certain participants are the reigning champions from Switzerland and last year’s beaten finalists from Australia.

Sources: Billie Jean King Cup, WTA, CT Sport