Spunky Slovenia dominate Netherlands in Billie Jean King Cup playoffs

Bengaluru, Nov 14 (PTI) Tamara Zidansek and Kaja Juan produced resilient tennis to outsmart fancied Netherlands, giving Slovenia an unassailable 2-0 lead in the Billie Jean King Cup Group G playoff here on Friday. Zidansek defeated Arantaxa Rus 6-1 7-6 (6) while Juan had to dig deep against world No. 89 Suzan Lamens, before prevailing 7-6 (5) 4-6 6-3 in two hours and 34 minutes.

The second match between Lamens and Juan lived up to the billing, as the two protagonists put on an exhibition of high-class defence, shot-making and ball retrieving.

Lamens did the early running, taking a 5-2 lead but the Slovenian gathered her nerves to make it 5-5 with breaks in the 6th and 9th games.

Juvan, who struggled to match the pace of Lamens and her precise shot-making early in the first set, soon turned the tide.

She found accuracy in her forehands and returns as the confidence gradually came back.

The ensuing tie-breaker was poised nicely at 6-5, but Lamens’ backhand found the net to give the opening set to her opponent.

Juan again did the Herculean comeback in the second set. After trailing 1-4, the nimble-legged right-hander made 4-4 courtesy a combination of powerful forehand cross court winners and delectable drop shots.

But Lemans effected a break in the ninth game to take a 5-4 lead, and the Dutch clinched the second set when a forehand from Juan sailed over the sideline.

However, the 24-year-old Juan, who once defeated the legendary Venus Williams in the 2018 Mexico Open, found her mojo back in the decider.

This time it was Juan’s turn to move away from Lemans as she quickly worked up a 4-1 lead. But the Netherlands player regained her power game to reduce the deficit to 4-3.

However, Juan made a decisive break in the eighth game to go up 5-3.

Lamens tried to stay with her opponent, taking the 9th game to deuce. But eventually, her determination broke after the third deuce of the game.

A clinical down the line winner gave Juan the second match point and a wide forehand from Lamens ended the match in favour of the Slovenian.

“I think we were both a little bit nervous. But in the third set I was really, really trying to fight and stay there and make her life hard. So, that was my thing,” Juan said after the match.

In the first match of the day, Zidansek set the tone with a break to lead 3-1 and maintained control throughout a dominant first set.

She built 2-0 lead in the second set, but Rus responded with aggression, levelling at 5-5 before breaking to move ahead 6-5.

But Zidansek steadied herself, forcing a tie-break and mastering it to seal a straight-set victory.

“I’m really happy. I came out playing great tactically and hitting my shots well. In the second set she started going for more, which made it tougher.

“But I stayed with it. I thought I served well today, and I’m really happy I managed to pull through,” she said.

Later, Netherlands pair of Lamens and Demi Schuurs scored a consolation win over Slovenia’s Dalilia Jakupovic and Nika Radisic 6-4, 6-0 in the inconsequential doubles fixture.

Slovenia will face hosts India on Saturday, and a win will earn the former a ticket to next year’s Billie Jean King Cup Qualifiers.

Juan, a close friend of six-time Grand Slam champion Iga Swiatek of Poland, vowed to have another strong outing against India.

“I'm happy that the Indian girls are getting the recognition they deserve, and, yeah, I'm really excited for it. I know that the crowd is not going to be on our side, but overall, I think it's going to be a great experience for all of us.

“We may be like the favourites on paper, but you never know with these matches, and I'm going to do my best to try to make their lives hard as well,” she added. PTI UNG DDV