By Adrianna Outlaw | Saturday, November 6, 2021
Liudmila Samsonova stopped Belinda Bencic to seal the Russian Tennis Federation's fifth Billie Jean King Cup championship.
Photo credit: Getty
Liudmila Samsonova completed a dazzling debut to clinch a rousing Russian triumph.
A spirited Samsonova stopped Belinda Bencic 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 sealing Russia's 2-0 win over Switzerland and its fifth Billie Jean King Cup championship at the O2 Arena in Prague today.
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"I have too many emotions," Samsonova said. "It's unbelievable. I'm very happy."
Playing bold first-strike tennis, team MVP Samsonova continued her breakthrough season cracking her first serve to set up her fierce forehand that often put the Swiss No. 1 on the defensive. Samsonova did it all just one day after she defeated 2017 US Open champion Sloane Stephens in Russia's semifinal win over 18-time champion United States.
It is the Russian Tennis Federation's fifth Billie Jean King Cup championship—the prior four were won when the event was known as Fed Cup—and first since 2008.
The 22-year-old Samsonova, the latest Russian woman to arrive in Prague completed a dream week that saw her post a 2-0 singles record and 3-0 doubles mark setting off a celebratory swarm from the Russian players.
“Liudmila was playing amazing this week,” Russian captain Igor Andreev said. “Tonight she showed again that she can beat very good players, she has everything ahead of her, a lot of things to improve, she can be a top player, not only playing well but dealing with all the pressure, big stage and she performed fantastic tonight so big credit to her.”
Earlier, Daria Kasatkina staked Russia to a 1-0 lead sweeping Swiss left-hander Jil Teichmann 6-2, 6-4 and setting the stage for Samsonova's Cup-clinching heroics.
The 40th-ranked Samsonova defeated Olympic gold medal champion Bencic for the third time in as many meetings this year following a 1-6, 6-1, 6-3 victory in the Berlin final and a 6-1, 6-4 victory in Luxembourg.
Contesing their first Billie Jean King Cup final since 1998, Switzerland was playing for its first championship. While the Swiss side battled hard both Kasatkina and Samsonova competed with conviction fulfilling captain Igor Andreev's confidence in starting the pair.
Andreev pushed all the right buttons as every Russian player, including Roland Garros finalist Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova and Veronika Kudermetova, contributed wins during the week
“I think it’s an historic win for us,” Andreev said. “For a long time since we’ve been without any trophies in tennis. I’m very proud and very happy for the girls, the way they played and the way they did everything - they are amazing. They are heroes and they did it because they are a team, a real team and real friends.”