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Poland’s women’s team failed to qualify for the Billie Jean King Cup after Magda Linette’s two-set loss to Elena Rybakina in Astana, marking the third defeat for the white and red in the tournament. This means that the Kazakh national team will be playing in the finals.
On the opening day of the competition, Polish women’s tennis players face a tough challenge with losses for Magda Linette and Weronika Falkowska to Julia Putintseva and Elena Rybakina respectively. Magda Linette fell in two sets, 7:5, 6:3, while Weronika Falkowska put up an exciting fight before ultimately losing 6:3, 6:4.
On Saturday, Magda Linette, the highest-seeded Polish representative in the tournament, took on the world’s seventh-ranked racquet, Rybakina. Linette, ranked 19th on the WTA tour, was in a tough spot and needed to win to keep her hopes alive. In the first set, Linette was broken at 4:4, leading to Rybakina taking the set 6:4.
Poland’s Linette was unable to overcome Kazakhstan’s Rybakina in the second set of the Billie Jean King Cup, the female equivalent of the Davis Cup. Linette broke her rival twice, however, the cheering of the local crowd motivated Rybakina and she made no mistake, ultimately winning the set 4-6, 2-6. This victory has secured Kazakhstan a spot in the finals.
World ranking leader Iga Swiatek, who is returning to full fitness after a rib injury, opted out of the event. Magdalena Fręch also dropped out of the team (wrist injury).
Last year, the white and red played in the finals, and beat Romania in the promotion match. Unfortunately, things were not so good in Glasgow, as the Poles dropped out in the group stage, after heroic encounters with the Czechs and Americans.