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09/24 04:56 CDT Ukraine reaches second straight Billie Jean King Cup semifinal
by beating Belgium 2-1
Ukraine reaches second straight Billie Jean King Cup semifinal by beating
Belgium 2-1
SHENZHEN, China (AP) --- Ukraine recovered from an upset to beat Belgium 2-1 on
Thursday and reach the Billie Jean King Cup semifinals for the second straight
season.
Doubles pair Anhelina Kalinina and Lyudmyla Kichenok comfortably beat Magali
Kempen and Lara Salden 6-3, 6-3.
Earlier, seventh-ranked Elina Svitolina was upset by Greet Minnen. Svitolina
won the first set 7-6 (5) but Minnen, ranked 217th, came back 6-4, 6-4 in the
final two sets to send the series to a deciding doubles match.
Kalinina had given Ukraine a 1-0 lead with a 6-7 (6), 6-1, 6-1 win over Jana
Otzipka. The 474th-ranked Otzipka had 16 double faults.
Ukraine will play the winner of Thursday's later fourth quarterfinal between
two-time defending champion Italy and China in the semifinals, which is
scheduled to be played Saturday. The final is scheduled for Sunday.
Ukraine lost to Italy in the last four last year, the only other time it has
reached the semifinals.
Earlier in the week, Spain advanced to the semis with a 2-1 win over
Kazakhstan. On Friday, the Spaniards will face Czech Republic, which beat
Britain 2-0 in their quarterfinal.
That left the Czechs on course for a 12th title in the competition previously
called Fed Cup. The United States, which did not qualify for the finals, won a
record 18 titles.
___
See AP's full tennis coverage here
