The semifinals are set at the 2023 Billie Jean King Cup in Seville, Spain, In one semifinal, Slovenia will play Italy, and the other semifinal has Canada playing the Czech Republic.
Slovenia won Group B, even though they only had one victory. Their win came against Australia on Tuesday, where they beat the Aussies 2-1. The Slovenians won both of their single matches as Kaja Juvan beat Ajla Tomljanovic 6-4, 6-1, and Tamara Zidansek beat Daria Saville 6-1, 6-4. Australia did beat Kazakhstan, but it was not enough as Slovenia got through in the group thanks to most sets won with nine. The fact that Slovenia is in the semifinals is a gigantic surprise, as they were seeded 12th out of 12 nations. It just goes to show that the rankings in this tournament were meaningless.
In Group A, the Czech Republic was victorious, as they defeated the United States and Switzerland. The most impressive Czech win, came from Marketa Vondrousova, the reigning Wimbledon champion. In a battle of major champions on Friday, Vondrousova beat 2020 Australian Open champion, Sofia Kenin, 6-1, 6-1.
In Group C, Canada dominated the group. The Canadian stars were Marina Stakusic of Mississauga, Ontario, and Leylah Annie Fernandez of Montreal. The fact that Stakusic came away with two victories at the age of 18, when she is only ranked 258th in the world, is mighty impressive.
In Group D, Italy beat France and Germany. The Italians were led by Martina Trevisan and Jasmine Paolini. Trevisan made tennis headlines in 2022, when she reached the semifinals of the French Open.
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