Glasgow, Nov 14 (FN Agency) Switzerland captured the Billie Jean King Cup title for the first time after a 2-0 victory over Australia here. Jil Teichmann and reigning Olympic champion Belinda Bencic combined for singles wins to give the Swiss an insurmountable 2-0 lead over Australia in a rematch of last year’s semifinals, earning the coveted championship on Sunday. In the opening match of the day, Teichmann outlasted this week’s breakthrough player Storm Sanders 6-3, 4-6, 6-3. Bencic then followed with a swift 6-2, 6-1 win over Ajla Tomljanovic to clinch the trophy. Switzerland, the runner-up last year as well as in 1998, completed the dream week by going 9-1 in matches.
Viktorija Golubic and Simona Waltert also contributed to the team effort in Scotland. “We were finalists last year and we were so heartbroken,” Bencic said on court, after wrapping up the week. “But in the locker room (Teichmann) came to me and said ‘Next year, we’re going to do it, we’re going to take it.’ And we did, I’m so proud.” Meanwhile, the draw for next year’s Billie Jean King Cup Qualifiers took place on Sunday. They will be held April 14-15, 2023. This weekend, 16 countries faced off in home-and-away ties, with the eight winners of those ties moving into the 2023 Qualifiers draw, along with the 10 nations that finished between third and 12th place in Glasgow this week. The nine winners from the matchups below will join this year’s finalists Switzerland and Australia and the host nation (or if already qualified, a wild card) in next year’s Billie Jean King Cup Finals:.