Wednesday, November 20, 2024

The Fighting Italians would like to have a word....

"Champions!" 

Today, for the fifth time, Italy became the Billie Jean King Cup (formerly Fed Cup) champions, defeating Slovakia in the final, 2-0.  Lucia Bronzetti defeated Viktoria Hruncakova 6-2, 6-4 in the first rubber of the final, and Jasmine Paolina defeated Rebecca Sramkova 6-2, 6-1 in the second. 

Team Italy was in the final last year, too, but they were defeated by Canada when Leylah Fernandez pretty much went crazy on everyone.

Starting in 2006, the fierce squad made up of Francesca Schiavone, Flavia Pennetta, Sara Errani, and Roberta Vinci won the Fed Cup four times, bringing the same grit and excitement that the Czech Republic brought to the competition. I named these players the Fighting Italians because they never, ever gave up, and it was a thrill to watch them battle.

Of the four, only Errani remains on the tour, and she reached what was perhaps her peak this year (of course, she also has a Career Slam in doubles) when she and Jasmine Paolini won an Olympic gold medal. But the spirit of the Fighting Italian is preserved in Paolini, whose cheerful demeanor sometimes conceals her relentless grit. And today, Bronzetti found her inner Pennetta when--playing in the most stressful of circumstances--she won Italy's first point in the final. 

The Italian team, led by Captain Tathiana Garbin, was made up of Paolini, Errani, Bronzetti, and Elisabetta Cocciaretta.

As always, there were a couple of lesser known players who stood out in the competition. Such players sometimes go on to become big stars on the tour (Pennetta, Petra Kvitova); others simply rise to the occasion. During this season, two players earned some special notice--Rebecca Sramkova of Slovakia and Katarzyna Kawa of Poland. 

It's no surprise that Sramkova was a star in this competition. She won her first WTA title this year, and she played in two other finals. During BJK Cup play, Sramkova defeated both Danielle Collins and--in the semifinals--a very in-form Katie Boulter. Kawa was Iga Swiatek's doubles partner, and she showed that she really knows her way around a doubles court.

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