Iga Swiatek enjoyed one of her most memorable nights on Saturday after leading Poland to their best-ever Billie Jean King Cup result in an epic way.
After Czech Republic’s Marie Bouzkova beat Magdalena Frech in tight three sets, it was up to the five-time Grand Slam champion to keep her nation alive in their quarterfinal tie in Malaga. Since she was due to face world No. 26 Linda Noskova – who is actually one of the trickiest opponents for the Pole – no one expected it to be a cakewalk.
And indeed it wasn’t an easy battle but Swiatek came out on top after two hours and 41 minutes to seal a 7-6 (4) 4-6 7-5 win. Since the match finished very late, the 23-year-old didn’t have much time to rest and she was back on the court as the clock struck midnight.
As if playing a marathon match and finishing very late wasn’t enough, the four-time French Open winner and Katarzyna Kawa had to battle doubles world No. 1 Katerina Siniakova and Bouzkova in the deciding doubles match. While Swiatek is one of the best in the game and Kawa is a top-100 doubles player herself, Siniakova is a dominant force in doubles and the Czechs were definitely the favorites.
But the Polish duo delivered to win 6-2 6-4 and propel their nation to their first semifinal at the Billie Jean King Cup, in which they will play Italy.
It should be noted that the world No. 2 was playing a doubles match in the competition for the first time since 2019.
“It’s amazing that we have made history for Poland – a dream come true. I missed playing this event a couple of times, but now I have the chance to play I want to make an impact and do something well. I am so happy that I finally got the opportunity and this tournament is amazing. The atmosphere is great and the whole experience is wonderful. I’m so happy also that we have such amazing players in the team,” Swiatek said after the victory.
“I am super proud of Katarzyna, myself and the whole team for fighting today because in doubles we weren’t the favorites. I’m super happy that Katarzyna was leading the doubles, picking the right tactics and telling me what to do as I haven’t played doubles in a while. I think we made a really good team.”