Spain crashed out of the Billie Jean King Cup in Malaga at the first opportunity.
Spain were eliminated this Friday in the second round of the tournament. Billie Jean King Cup with defeat Paula Badosa in view of Iga Swiateknumber two in the world, in three sets (6-3, 6-7(4) and 6-1), so Poland will meet the Czech Republic in the quarterfinals of the current tournament. in Malaga. This Friday, Spain’s dream of winning a new world tennis trophy came to an end, something it has not yet achieved this century.since the five he has achieved so far were in the nineties (1991, 1993, 1994, 1995 and 1998). The defeat marks the last innings of Spanish captain Anabelle Medina, who leaves her post after these finals.
Poland, a 2-0 overall winner, now has its best ever performance at the tournament, having reached the quarter-finals in 1992 and 2015. Badosa was trying to save his team after narrowly losing to Sara Sorribes in the first round, the longest match of the tournament so far, against Magda Linette, almost four hours of tennis (7-6 (6), 2-6 and 6-4).
Spain were forced to win to level the score and force a double, and Badosa started on the right foot, rowing to 3-2 and with a chance of a break of serve, but Swiatek turned the score over to make it 3-4. The Pole repeated the score and made it 5-3, being much more consistent in her striking. Thus, the New York-born Spaniard fell apart and made three errors when hitting the net, giving her opponent the first set (6-3).
There was an air of confidence that persisted in Swiatek after the resumption of the second set, which should have been pure spectacle due to the very close outcome. The Pole started at cruising speed, with power from the serve and from the others, and after a few minutes it was already 0-3. A critical moment for Paula.
But he managed to get out of control, cut the score to 2-3 and was one point away from a draw, but Swiatek usually does not forgive this. He converted three points in a row to make it 2-4, putting Spain on the back foot again. Paula Badosa’s trance moment was about to arrive and she arrived in time with an empty game, forcing a point tie-break and surviving to win it 7-5 and level the scores to the delight of hundreds of Spaniards. who supported her from the stands.
However, in the last set we saw not the best version of the Catalan racket, which, although she started by breaking Swiatek’s serve, the Pole found a formula not to make mistakes often and continue to punish her opponents.
Although the match had to be stopped for about twenty minutes so that the arena’s medical services could come to the aid of a fan who had become dizzy, there was no epic for Spain in the resumption and there was a landslide victory for Swiatek, the highest honor. The best tennis player in the world tournament.
Poland advances to the quarter-finals of the 2024 Billy Jean King Cup and will play against the Czech Republic this Saturday at 17:00 at the José María Martín Carpena Sports Palace in Malaga, where the tournament will take place.
ANABELLE MEDINA STOP BEING CAPTAIN
Anabelle Medina is no longer coach of the Spanish women’s tennis team after the team she led in recent years was eliminated this Friday in the final of the Billie Jean King Cup when they lost to Poland in the round of 16 match.
Anabelle Medina captained Spain for seven years and was honored on court at the conclusion of the match between Paula Badosa and Iga Swiatek, which confirmed Poland’s progress to the quarter-finals and Spain’s elimination.
The President of the Royal Spanish Tennis Federation (RFET), Miguel Diaz, presented a bouquet of flowers and a commemorative painting in the center of the adjacent courtyard of the Martin Carpen Sports Palace in recognition of their work.
The captain recognized him on the track. “I had a really good goal and it couldn’t happen, but it was worth it. Thanks to the whole team that is here and the one that has been with me all these years,” said Anabel Medina. “I managed to do some things not so well, but I always tried my best, tried to help the team as much as possible, both during the competition when we were not there, and I just hope that you keep this little piece of me and that I am here, for which I love you very much and wish you all the luck in the world. The team responded and I wish that one day you can lift this trophy because we deserve it,” concluded Anabelle. Medina.
The Spanish Federation later released a two-minute video dedicated to Anabel Medina as player and captain. Anabel Medina, 42, who replaced Conchita Martinez in 2017, last year extended her commitment to the Spanish Federation for another year.