Zheng returns to lead China at BJK Cup against defending champions Italy

[p]Fresh off an impressive run at the US Open, where she reached the last eight as a qualifier, Zheng will lead the Chinese team in Thursday's quarter-final against the Italians.[/p][p]It is a rematch of last year's clash at the same stage and China will be hoping Zheng, a former world number four and reigning Olympic gold medallist, can guide them to success over a [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/paolini-jasmine/noaX0EJn/"]Jasmine Paolini[/a]-led Italy.[/p][p][b]"Italy have got a strong team, as I think we are. I hope this year we can have a great performance,"[/b] said Zheng, who owns a 3-1 singles win-loss record in the competition.[/p][p][b]"But no pressure. We are here just to enjoy and play tennis, then show the fans how our Chinese team is."[/b][/p][embed guid="1c0bbb7a-a3ee-40ed-8adb-ae9c9357b6e3" url="https://x.com/BJKCup/status/2083115396756873423" social-type="twitter" /][p]Zheng, 23, is joined by three players who were part of the Chinese squad that lost to Italy 12 months ago.[/p][p]They include [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/wang-xiyu/6XSnpS5h/"]Wang Xiyu[/a], [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/zhang-shuai/OY0ZExo5/"]Zhang Shuai[/a] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/jiang-xinyu/O20kf5fn/"]Jiang Xinyu[/a], along with [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/guo-hanyu/CEFSKodt/"]Guo Hanyu[/a], who like Zheng is back on the team for the first time since 2024.[/p][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/zheng-jie/bstZnGFt/"]Zheng Jie[/a], a former Wimbledon semi-finalist, Olympic bronze medallist and two-time doubles Grand Slam champion will be making her debut as the China captain.[/p][p][b]The hosts are looking to reach the semi-finals for just the second time in competition history, and first since 2008.[/b][/p][p]The Billie Jean King Cup Finals, a women's team competition, kicks off on Tuesday with a quarter-final between Britain and 11-time champions the Czech Republic.[/p][embed guid="0fb49c9a-6fde-4364-bf33-880c7bc6819f" url="https://x.com/BJKCup/status/2067535836518752721" social-type="twitter" /][p]The Czechs arrived in Shenzhen with the strongest squad among all eight quarter-finalists, spearheaded by this year's two Wimbledon finalists, world number six [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/noskova-linda/zHMiAkw6/"]Linda Noskova[/a] and the woman she beat in the final, world number eight [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/muchova-karolina/Or4Qa1ye/"]Karolina Muchova[/a].[/p][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/siniakova-katerina/OKXs3Wah/"]Katerina Siniakova[/a], the current doubles world number one, is also on the team.[/p][p]Despite their firepower the Czechs insist they're not preoccupied by the favourites tag attached to their name.[/p][p][b]"We're not playing singles here. It's all about the team competition. It doesn't really matter whose singles ranking is what,"[/b] said Noskova.[/p][p][b]"Obviously I worked my whole year to get where I am. But this is a team competition, so every point in every match counts."[/b][/p][p]US Open champion [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/rybakina-elena/UDzElXdm/"]Elena Rybakina[/a] was meant to be part of the Kazakhstan team taking on Spain in the quarter-finals on Wednesday.[/p][p]She announced her withdrawal so she can recover after New York.[/p]