Billie Jean King Cup – Successful start: Switzerland beat Italy

• Switzerland wins the opening bout in the Billie Jean King Cup against Italy 3-0.
• Jill Tishman (WTA 35) won her single against Elisabetta Cocciaretto (WTA 65) after over three hours in three sets.
• Belinda Bencic (WTA 12) defeats Jasmine Paolini (WTA 59) 7:5, 6:3 and secures the decisive second point for Switzerland.
• In the final, but insignificant doubles match, Bencic/Teschmann also got the third point for Heinz Günthardt’s team.

The Swiss women’s tennis team presented the final tournament of the Billie Jean King Cup in Glasgow. Thanks to the victories of Belinda Bencic and Gil Tichmann, last year’s finalists were already 2-0 up ahead of the final doubles match. Bencic/Teschmann finally won 7:6 (7:5), 6:1 against Italian duo Paolini/Martina Trevisan.

The Swiss captain and world number 12 had previously scored the decisive second point against Yasmine Paolini (WTA 59) thanks to a 7:5, 6:3 win. The first set was very tough. When she sent Bencic into the set at 6-5, she fell back 0-40 but blocked all three break opportunities.

In the second round, the 25-year-old from eastern Switzerland squandered a quick 2-0 lead, but after another break to make the score 4-3, she left nothing to burn.

It was a real roller coaster ride that the 25-year-old had with the Italian, who is four years her junior. Tishman seemed to lead decisively 6:3 and 4:2 before losing six games in a row. A real battle of attrition developed in the decisive group. The first three matches in the third round alone lasted over half an hour and included no less than 46 points (!).

Meanwhile, the Swiss lost four service games in a row. I saved the match point when the score was 3:5 and managed to turn the game around. So it made sense that after more than three hours the tiebreak had to make the decision. In this the third match point is used.