Belgium knocked out 18-time champions the \u2060United States to qualify for the Billie Jean King Cup Finals on Saturday, \u200bas Britain, Italy, Kazakhstan, \u200bSpain and Ukraine also secured places in the season-ending team event alongside hosts China.<\/p>\n
Belgium sealed qualification in Ostend, where world number 149 Greet Minnen completed the upset with a 7-5 6-3 victory over Iva Jovic, sending her team back to the finals for the first time since 2022.<\/p>\n
Britain \u2060booked their spot with a 3-1 win against Australia in Melbourne, wrapping \u2060up the tie with victory in the doubles after taking a commanding 2-0 lead from Friday\u2019s singles matches.<\/p>\n
Harriet Dart and Jodie Burrage sealed the contest with a 6-3 6-4 win over \u200cStorm Hunter and Ellen Perez, ending the \u200bAustralian pair\u2019s unbeaten doubles \u2060run in the Billie Jean King Cup dating back to \u200bNovember 2022.<\/p>\n
Champions Italy also progressed \u200cafter a 3-1 home win over Japan on clay in Velletri. Holding a 2-0 advantage overnight, Jasmine Paolini and \u200bSara Errani clinched the tie by defeating Shuko Aoyama and Eri Hozumi 6-2 7-5 in the doubles.<\/p>\n
Ukraine booked a return to the finals for a second straight year with a dominant 4-0 victory over Poland in Gliwice.<\/p>\n
Lyudmyla Kichenok and Nadiia Kichenok secured the decisive \u200cpoint with a 7-5 6-7(4) 6-3 win over Maja Chwalinska and Martyna \u200bKubka, and then Oleksandra Oliynykova completed a perfect couple of days for Ukraine with \u200ba \u200c6-4 \u20606-1 win over Linda Klimovicova.<\/p>\n
Spain took an unassailable 3-1 lead against Slovenia in Portoroz, with Aliona Bolsova and Sara Sorribes Tormo sealing qualification thanks to a 6-4 \u200b6-3 doubles win over Veronika Erjavec and Nika Radisic.<\/p>\n
Kazakhstan \u2060advanced after Yulia \u200bPutintseva outlasted Canada\u2019s Bianca Andreescu in a three-hour and 39-minute singles marathon in Astana.<\/p>\n
Putintseva\u2019s 7-6(5) 3-6 7-6(4) victory gave her side an unassailable 3-1 lead in the best-of-five tie.<\/p>\n
Elsewhere, Linda Noskova kept the Czech Republic in contention by beating \u200bBelinda Bencic 6-3 4-6 7-6(9) to level their tie with Switzerland \u200bat 2-2, with the deciding singles match to follow.<\/p>\n
The Billie Jean King Cup Finals will be held in Shenzhen from Sept. 22-27.\u00a0<\/p>\n
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