Yulia Putintseva and Elena Rybakina were dominant for the second straight day to help Kazakhstan sweep Colombia 3-0 and clinch Group D in Billie Jean King Cup qualifying Friday in Brisbane, Australia.
After Putintseva outmatched Colombia’s Valentina Mediorreal Arias 6-0, 6-1 in a mere 37 minutes, World No. 10 Rybakina cruised to a 6-1, 6-2 win over Yuliana Lizarazo in 51 minutes. The Kazakh doubles team of Zhibek Kulambayeva and Zarina Diyas made it a sweep by beating Lizarazo and Maria Paulina Perez-Garcia 6-2, 5-7, 6-4.
Kazakhstan defeated Australia 2-1 on the opening day of qualifying Thursday.
Eighteen nations are competing in six groups of three Thursday through Sunday. The winners of each group will advance to the Billie Jean King Cup finals later this year, joined by host China and defending champion Italy. The other 12 teams will then compete in the playoffs to avoid relegation to Group I.
Also Friday, Canada opened Group A with a 3-0 sweep of Romania in Tokyo.
Victoria Mboko eased past Miriam Bulgaru 6-1, 6-4, before Marina Stakusic beat Anca Todoni 6-4, 6-3. The Canadian doubles team of Kayla Cross and Rebecca Marino defeated Georgia Craciun and Mara Gae 6-2, 6-4.
Group C play also had its first match Friday with Slovakia beating Denmark 3-0 in Bratislava, Slovakia.
Viktoria Hruncakova beat Rebecca Munk Mortensen 6-4, 6-3 before Rebecca Sramkova outlasted Johanne Christine Svendsen 7-6 (3), 5-7, 6-3. In doubles, Hruncakova joined up with Tereza Mihalikova to beat Laura Brunkel and Emilie Francati 7-6 (4), 5-7, 6-1.
The U.S. team is the third member of Group C and will face Denmark Saturday before battling Slovakia Sunday.
In Group B, Spain swept Brazil 3-0 and will battle host Czech Republic for the group title Sunday in Ostrava. Sara Sorribes Tormo turned back Laura Pigossi 6-3, 7-5, Jessica Bouzas Maneiro beat Beatriz Haddad Maia 6-3, 4-6, 6-4, and Sorribes Tormo played doubles with Cristina Bucsa and defeated Pigossi and Luisa Stefani 6-3, 6-3.
In Group E, Ukraine blanked host Poland 3-0 in Radom. Marta Kostyuk dominated Katarzyna Kawa 6-1, 6-2, Elina Svitolina topped Maja Chwalinska 7-6 (4), 6-3, and the Ukrainian duo of Lyudmyla and Nadiia Kichenok beat Chwalinska and Martyna Kubka 7-6 (1), 7-6 (5). Ukraine can win the group if it beats Switzerland on Saturday.
Finally, in Group F, Great Britain eliminated Germany with a 2-1 win in The Hague, Netherlands. After Sonay Kartal of Great Britain beat Jule Niemeier 6-4, 6-2, Katie Boulter rallied past Tatjana Maria 1-6, 6-3, 6-1 to secure the win for the Brits. Boulter converted all five opportunities she had to break Maria’s serve.
Germany’s Anna-Lena Friedsam and Laura Siegemund won their doubles match against Harriet Dart and Olivia Nicholls 6-4, 6-1. But Great Britain will battle the Netherlands for the group title on Saturday.
–Field Level Media
