By Chris Oddo | @TheFanChild | Saturday November 12, 2022
Belinda Bencic took out Karolina Pliskova in straight sets to put Swiss in the BJK Cup finals for the second consecutive year.
Photo Source: Getty Images
Switzerland has been hungry to prove themselves on the Billie Jean King Cup stage ever since they lost a heartbreaking final last year to Russia.
In 2022, they have executed at their highest level and Team Swiss is once again on the cusp of winning the most coveted title in women’s team tennis again.
Viktorija Golubic and Belinda Bencic won singles rubbers on Saturday in Glasgow to secure victory for the Swiss, Golubic upsetting Karolina Muchova, 6-4, 6-4, before Bencic battled past the talented Karolina Pliskova to clinch the win for the Swiss, 6-2, 7-6(6).
Bencic improves to 4-0 this week at BJK Cup, with wins in singles over Jasmine Paolini, Leylah Fernandez and Pliskova.
“Feels pretty good,” Bencic said on court after the victory. “We're feeling really happy and relieved and of course, so good to be in the final again. Of course we were trying for that – I think it's an amazing achievement after last year to kind of prove it again.”
The Swiss improved to 2-1 lifetime against Pliskova, rallying from a break down when the Czech was serving for the second set to take her victory in the second set breaker, 6-3, 7-6(6).
“We saw it earlier today when Great Britain played Australia – the line is so small between the victory and the heartbreak.”
Captain Heinz Guenthardt and his team are all-in for Sunday’s final, when they will face seven-time BJK Cup champion Australia for the title.
“It takes a lot,” he said, looking ahead. “They are the best teams in the world and you have to play at your best to reach the semis, your best to get to the finals and we have to be at our absolute best to win it.
“In the end it's belief that's what it comes down to – it's hard to believe,” he said. “Everyone can hit the ball but what makes the difference? Nobody really knows there's something out there that makes the difference. A lot of it is just belief, trust it, see it, feel it, and hit it.”