Jasmine Paolini vows to ‘fight until last ball’ for BJK Cup glory
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Sara Errani (left) and Jasmine Paolini bumping fist during the US Open women’s doubles semi-finals at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Centre in Flushing Meadows on Sept 3.
PHOTO: EPA
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Shenzhen – Two-time Major singles finalist Jasmine Paolini vowed on Sept 15 to “fight until the last ball” as she hopes to guide Italy to a second consecutive Billie Jean King Cup title in Shenzhen.
The Italians are looking to become the first country to retain their crown in the women’s team competition since the Czech Republic in 2016.
They kick off their campaign on Sept 16 against hosts China.
Paolini was the star of the Italian squad in the Finals last November, winning four of the five matches she played in Malaga to help her nation clinch a fifth BJK Cup and first since 2013.
A two-time Grand Slam singles finalist and reigning Olympic doubles champion alongside compatriot Sara Errani, the 29-year-old Paolini is expected to line up against China’s Wang Xinyu in the quarter-finals on Sept 16.
“I’m always looking forward to playing this kind of competition. I really like it, it’s an honour,” Paolini, the world No. 8, told reporters.
“I’m going to fight until the last ball.”
In the absence of Olympic champion Zheng Qinwen, who is recovering from elbow surgery, Wang is China’s top player in Shenzhen.
Ranked 34th in the world, Wang was a silver medallist in mixed doubles at the 2024 Paris Olympics and won the 2023 French Open women’s doubles title alongside Chinese Taipei’s Hsieh Su-wei.
Wang, a 23-year-old Shenzhen native, takes a 1-1 head-to-head record into her expected clash with Paolini. “Playing her here I think is something really different,” she said.
“For me, it’s the first time playing the Billie Jean King Cup Finals and also I’m playing at home. I’m really looking forward to it.”
United States captain Lindsay Davenport is happy she has a deep squad to rely on.
Australian Open champion Madison Keys withdrew and has been replaced by tournament debutante McCartney Kessler.
Spearheaded by world No. 7 Jessica Pegula – the highest-ranked player in Shenzhen this week – the US will take on an Elena Rybakina-led Kazakhstan in the quarter-finals on Sept 18.
“I expect that Rybakina and (Yulia) Putintseva will be playing singles for them. We’ll go over all of our line-ups and matchups,” said Davenport, a former world No. 1, Olympic champion and three-time Major winner. “I’m so blessed to have such a deep team and so many options.”
The BJK Cup Finals has moved up in the calendar and is scheduled from Sept 16 to 21 as opposed to its typical end-of-season November slot, a change that has been given the thumbs up from many players and captains, including Davenport and Pegula.
“Every single lady up here said yes immediately,” said Davenport.
“It seems schedule-wise this is fitting in a lot better for the players.”
In other quarter-final action, a returning Paula Badosa, who has been out with a back injury since Wimbledon, will lead Spain against a strong Ukraine on Sept 17.
Britain, semi-finalists in 2024, will be without Emma Raducanu in their Sept 18 clash against Japan, who are missing four-time Major winner Naomi Osaka. AFP
