Defending champions Italy breeze into BJK Cup finals, USA knocked out

[p]Olympic champions [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/errani-sara/UqnOkX4F/"]Sara Errani[/a] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/paolini-jasmine/noaX0EJn/"]Jasmine Paolini[/a] sealed the winning point with [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/tennis/errani-s-UqnOkX4F/paolini-j-noaX0EJn/?mid=8d97ZzFd"]a 6-2, 7-5 win[/a] over Japan's [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/aoyama-shuko/pMFQxGWM/"]Shuko Aoyama[/a] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/hozumi-eri/007xoimf/"]Eri Hozumi[/a] on clay at Velletri, south of Rome.[/p][p]Paolini and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/cocciaretto-elisabetta/pA0aW3EL/"]Elisabetta Cocciaretto[/a] had given the hosts a 2-0 overnight advantage.[/p][p]Last year's runners-up the USA - record 18-time winners - were beaten 3-1 by Belgium.[/p][embed guid="5f7fbbec-bae2-42b0-bc41-8f7436177427" url="https://x.com/BJKCup/status/2042924174520324111" social-type="twitter" /][p]The Americans dragged themselves back into the tie with Caty McNally and Nicole Melichar's doubles win after losing both singles matches on Friday.[/p][p]But [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/minnen-greetje/QoLeDQFG/"]Greet Minnen[/a] surprised world number 16 [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/jovic-iva/bmWvBlnL/"]Iva Jovic[/a] [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/tennis/jovic-i-bmWvBlnL/minnen-g-QoLeDQFG/?mid=ncyYmQKE"]7-5, 6-3[/a] as Belgium booked a return to the finals, to be held in Shenzhen in September, for the first time since 2022.[/p][embed guid="dd7a8705-200d-4e21-bf4d-a3e75217ea0a" url="https://x.com/BJKCup/status/2042974701807456376" social-type="twitter" /][p]In Melbourne, [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/dart-harriet/h6Lq4OGA/"]Harriet Dart[/a] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/burrage-jodie/U5Ot7i32/"]Jodie Burrage[/a] won the doubles rubber to power Britain past Australia.[/p][p]Later, [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/jones-emerson/WCpmB755/"]Emerson Jones[/a] pulled a point back for Australia for 3-1 after beating [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/swan-katie/YNlTNZYj/"]Katie Swan[/a] [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/tennis/jones-e-WCpmB755/swan-k-YNlTNZYj/?mid=QFERuqO8"]7-5, 6-3[/a] in Saturday's reverse singles.[/p][p]Britain started the day with a commanding 2-0 lead after rising star [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/stojsavljevic-mika/YyyT3fOe/"]Mika Stojsavljevic[/a] upset [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/gibson-talia/8GwNXON6/"]Talia Gibson[/a], and Dart beat [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/birrell-kimberly/S4ljFw3g/"]Kimberly Birrell[/a] on day one.[/p][p]It left Australia's Storm [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/koontz-hunter/ENoObjBN/"]Hunter[/a] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/perez-ellen/MeLlB3fA/"]Ellen Perez[/a] facing a must-win clash in Melbourne, but they failed to rise to the occasion and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/tennis/perez-e-MeLlB3fA/sanders-s-WEvLWEdN/?mid=4tvWpYie"]crashed 6-3, 6-4[/a].[/p][p][b]"That feels amazing,"[/b] said an emotional Burrage, who has battled injuries in recent times.[/p][p][b]"I'm proud of us for the way that we played, the way that we came out and managed to close that out."[/b][/p][p]Victory propelled Britain - semi-finalists last year - into the September eight-team finals in Shenzhen, China.[/p][embed guid="b0d57e3f-e95a-4f1d-8cae-0d9befba5288" url="https://x.com/BJKCup/status/2042812205876359532" social-type="twitter" /][p]Hunter and Perez broke early for a 3-1 lead, but they imploded with Dart and Burrage reeling off the next five games to claim the opening set.[/p][p]A seesawing second set saw four service breaks before the British pair broke again for a 5-4 advantage, and Burrage made no mistakes in serving out for the win.[/p][p]It was an impressive victory with none of Britain's top four making the long trip with [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/raducanu-emma/YmIZde1B/"]Emma Raducanu[/a], [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/boulter-katie/0SeXj3jT/"]Katie Boulter[/a] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/jones-francesca/OU6w8nNa/"]Fran Jones[/a] opting to focus on the European clay-court season, and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/kartal-sonay/nFb01JTe/"]Sonay Kartal[/a] hurt.[/p][p]"They're two great players," said Dart of Hunter and Perez. [b]"They play a lot of doubles, and it was our first time playing together.[/b][/p][p][b]"It's crazy actually, because we played pretty well and to be able to make the finals is just kind of surreal."[/b][/p][p]Seven ties are being played this weekend.[/p][h2]Ukraine, Spain & Kazakhstan seal berths[/h2][p]Ukraine, Spain and Kazakhstan also sealed their tickets to the final.[/p][p]Twins [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/kichenok-lyudmyla/bLgKtc3K/"]Lyudmyla[/a] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/kichenok-nadiya/hrgOuHIQ/"]Nadiia Kichenok[/a] gave Ukraine an unassailable 3-0 lead after the doubles in the southern Polish city of Gliwice.[/p][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/kostyuk-marta/8CZqQdSa/"]Marta Kostyuk[/a] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/monfils-elina/jyngIesG/"]Elina Svitolina[/a] won Friday's singles.[/p][p]Overnight, Slovenia and Spain had been tied 1-1 on clay in Portoroz.[/p][p]But [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/bolsova-zadoinov-aliona/O6dHZYhC/"]Aliona Bolsova[/a] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/sorribes-tormo-sara/xEGb8F4p/"]Sara Sorribes Tormo[/a] teamed up to win the doubles. [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/quevedo-kaitlin/Ovyv04To/"]Kaitlin Quevedo[/a] then rallied past [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/erjavec-veronika/rsErY1Yt/"]Veronika Erjavec[/a] [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/tennis/erjavec-v-rsErY1Yt/quevedo-k-Ovyv04To/?mid=hYj8ALj4"]7-6(4), 6-2[/a] to seal the winning point.[/p][embed guid="ba9b7a79-bdd8-4072-87dc-0b73a26474d4" url="https://x.com/BJKCup/status/2042958817583837390" social-type="twitter" /][p]Kazakhstan won 3-1 against Canada after former US Open champion [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/andreescu-bianca/KhlPw9hb/"]Bianca Andreescu[/a] lost her reverse singles tie [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/tennis/andreescu-b-KhlPw9hb/putintseva-y-W2BCKjLQ/?mid=GEMrHdYj"]7-6(5), 3-6, 7-6(4)[/a] to [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/putintseva-yulia/W2BCKjLQ/"]Yulia Putintseva[/a].[/p][p]Andreescu had pulled Canada level 1-1 on Friday.[/p][p]But [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/danilina-anna/fiM0CnA5/"]Anna Danilina[/a] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/kulambayeva-zhibek/d2HpmHB6/"]Zhibek Kulambayeva[/a] beat Andreescu and Cross [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/tennis/danilina-a-fiM0CnA5/kulambayeva-z-d2HpmHB6/?mid=SbTZFkI6"]7-5, 6-1[/a] in Saturday's doubles.[/p][p][b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/tennis/teams-women/billie-jean-king-cup-world-group/"]Follow the BJK Cup results with Flashscore.[/a][/b][/p]