It was an incredible start to the Billie Jean King Cup Finals series, as the defending champions, Italy, pulled off two remarkable comebacks against the host team, China, to secure their spot in the semifinals. Jasmine Paolini and Elisabetta Cocciaretto were the heroes of the day, as both had to rally from behind to clinch the victory for the Europeans.

Heading into the match, Italy was the clear favorite, especially considering China was without its top star, Zheng Qinwen (No. 9), who has been sidelined for the past couple of months due to an injury. Without the Tokyo 2024 gold medalist, the Asian team seemed diminished, though hopes remained with World No. 34 Wang Xinyu and former doubles World No. 2 Shuai Zhang on the roster.

Cocciaretto stages epic rally to secure first point for Ita

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