'22 BJK Cup 11/8 - 11/13

[ashkor87]

I say the USA. It is a strong team, they do have at least two players that truly do not like to lose (Coco and Collins) and if Mc-Coco reunite for the doubles, they are a top notch team.

I find US teams don't care much about team events where they are representing their country, so you get some strange performances, like Madison's today...

[ti-amie]

[ti-amie]

[ti-amie]

[ponchi101]

I say the USA. It is a strong team, they do have at least two players that truly do not like to lose (Coco and Collins) and if Mc-Coco reunite for the doubles, they are a top notch team.

I find US teams don't care much about team events where they are representing their country, so you get some strange performances, like Madison's today...

Well, there was precisely a reason why I did not say THREE players; I really don't think Madison has ever been affected by losing a match.
But Collins is always super hyped, and Coco does not like losing.
And I just saw that indeed, McCoco won the doubles. They like playing with each other.

[ashkor87]

Leylah!! Awesome! Iga-like win...Canada is a very strong team..either Canada or Czechs should win the cup..Czechs have always cherished this trophy, won it a disproportionate number of times, behind heroics by Safarova..probably the best FedCup player ever!

[ponchi101]

Best Fed Cup player ever?
Martina. Bar none.

[ashkor87]

Best Fed Cup player ever?
Martina. Bar none.

Ok..best in recent memory..and

Relative to her wta ranking and performance .

[ti-amie]

[Deuce]

And they did it without what's her name.
Ouch.

[ti-amie]

DAY THREE RESULTS

Group A – Canada defeated Italy 3-0

Bianca Andreescu (CAN) d. Elisabetta Cocciaretto (ITA) 7-6(3) 6-3

Leylah Fernandez (CAN) d. Martina Trevisan (ITA) 6-0 6-0

Gabriela Dabrowski/Leylah Fernandez (CAN) d. Lucia Bronzetti/Jasmine Paolini (ITA) 6-1 6-1



Group B – Australia defeated Belgium 3-0

Storm Sanders (AUS) d. Alison van Uytvanck (BEL) 6-2 6-2

Ajla Tomljanovic (AUS) d. Elise Mertens (BEL) 4-6 6-4 3-0 ret.

Storm Sanders/Samantha Stosur (AUS) d. Kirsten Flipkens/Elise Mertens (BEL) 6-4 6-3


Group C – Great Britain defeated Spain 3-0

Heather Watson (GBR) d. Nuria Parrizas-Diaz (ESP) 6-0 6-2

Harriet Dart (GBR) d. Paula Badosa (ESP) 6-3 6-4

Alicia Barnett/Olivia Nicholls (GBR) d. Aliona Bolsova/Rebeka Masarova (ESP) 7-6(5) 6-2

Group D – Czech Republic defeated Poland 2-1

Karolina Muchova (CZE) d. Magdalena Frech (POL) 6-2 6-2

Magda Linette (POL) d. Karolina Pliskova (CZE) 6-4 6-1

Katerina Siniakova/Marketa Vondrousova (CZE) d. Katarzyna Kawa/Magda Linette (POL) 6-2 6-3

Australia and Great Britain advance to the semi-finals as winners of Groups B and C, respectively.


DAY FOUR SCHEDULE

Centre Court

11:02 GMT – Group A – Switzerland v Canada

Not before 16:30 GMT – Group D – Czech Republic v USA



The players representing each team will be announced one hour prior to the scheduled start of each tie. Please note that start times are amended on Friday 11 November to accommodate the two-minute silence for Armistice Day.

[Deuce]

Leylah has not looked good in the matches she's played since returning from her foot injury. She has even looked quite bad in a couple of those matches.
But she played very well today. She played like the 'old Leylah' - steely-eyed, completely focused, totally determined, never smiling - not like the 'celebrity Leylah' that plays to the crowd, smiles, etc.
She was all business today - and you could see that even when the teams were introduced on the court and the national anthems were played - she was totally focused and in deadly serious mode even then. This is the attitude she needs to have to play her best.

It must be said that Trevisan played pretty badly. Italy were pretty much out of it by then - I don't think they had won a match to that point (and still haven't). Trevisan could stay in the rallies for a few shots, but then you could pretty much count on an unforced error out of nowhere from her. Part of the reason she missed so much was because Leylah wasn't missing, and because she had that focus and determination and 'I'm NOT going to lose this match' written all over her face and in her walk, which is intimidating.

Of course the whole environment of Fed Cup, which is completely and totally different than matches at regular WTA tournaments, played a role in Leylah's 'resurgence'. The team aspect - being one cog in the machine... the support from everyone wearing red + white... the playing for your country - all of that makes for a very, very different environment from a regular tournament.
She was even wearing an unbranded top with 'Canada' written on the back - no sponsors on it - unlike the last Fed Cup play, where the sponsors were all over her top. Wearing the 'team uniform' instead of your own 'kit' helps to make you feel part of the team.
I can't say that I'm surprised that Leylah came out so determined and focused today - I figured that this team/country environment might bring the old (and real) Leylah back out of her.

There was also the fact that this was a rematch with Trevisan - she was on the other side of the net at Roland Garros when Leylah suffered the stress fracture in her foot. So I think Leylah was determined to prove that she can beat her when the playing field is level.

Also worthy of mention is Andreescu kind of pulling one out of the fire vs. Cocciaretto. The Italian was ahead in the 1st set, and was controlling the play - and looked to be headed for a rather routine win of the set at 5-2. But she faltered a bit, and Andreescu pounced, getting it to a tiebreak, which she won.
The 2nd set was even about halfway through before Andresscu grabbed the reins.

[Deuce]

Andreescu won the 1st set easily over Golubic, who was a late substitution for the announced Teichmann... and then Andreescu unravelled. She unravelled slowly at first, losing the 2nd set 3-6. Golubic began playing noticeably better, as well...

Then Andreescu came completely undone in the 3rd set - and Golubic was hitting everything. Andreescu was dejected as Golubic got out to a very easy 4-0 lead, and led 5-1. Then Golubic got nervous and began making errors (because this sport is 95% psychological ), and Andreescu fed off of that and began playing better...All of a sudden, it was 5-4 Golubic.
But Golubic pulled it together, and Andreescu made 2 or 3 unforced errors in the 10th game, and that was it - 6-4 Switzerland.

Leylah vs. Bencic up next...

[Deuce]

Those who are able to should watch Leylah vs. Bencic right now...
Bencic won the 1st set easily, 6-0. She just didn't miss. And maybe Leylah was nervous, knowing that, after Andreescu's loss, it all rests on her - if she loses, Canada is eliminated.

But Leylah has come back strong in the 2nd set - and Bencic's level dropped (it had to - her level in the 1st set was virtually impossible to maintain.
They're locked in a fierce battle now - 5-5 in the 2nd set...

EDIT - it ended rather abruptly, with Bencic breaking Leylah, and then serving it out - 7-5.
Bencic had an earlier break - but Leylah fought hard and broke her back.

I think this would have been a different match if Andreescu would have won the first match of the day. Perhaps Bencic would still have won - but I think Leylah would have come out of the gate more confident and less nervous if Andreescu had won.

[ti-amie]

DAY FOUR RESULTS

Group A – Switzerland defeated Canada 2-1

Viktorija Golubic (SUI) d. Bianca Andreescu (CAN) 2-6 6-3 6-4

Belinda Bencic (SUI) d. Leylah Fernandez (CAN) 6-0 7-5

Gabriela Dabrowski/Leylah Fernandez (CAN) d. Jil Teichmann/Simona Waltert (SUI) 6-2 6-1

Group D – Czech Republic defeated USA 2-1

Marketa Vondrousova (CZE) d. Danielle Collins (USA) 6-3 6-3

Katerina Siniakova (CZE) d. Coco Gauff (USA) 7-6(1) 6-1

Madison Keys/Taylor Townsend (USA) d. Karolina Muchova/Karolina Pliskova (CZE) 6-3 6-3

Switzerland and Czech Republic advance to the semi-finals as winners of Groups A and D, respectively.

SEMI-FINAL SCHEDULE

Saturday 12 November 2022

10:00 GMT – Australia v Great Britain

Not before 16:00 GMT – Switzerland v Czech Republic

The players representing each team will be announced one hour prior to the scheduled start of each tie.