Amid jubilant scenes in front of visiting fans in Biel, world No.1 Iga Swiatek ensured Poland’s place in the Billie Jean King Cup by Gainbridge Finals in November with a 6-4, 6-3 win over Swiss teenager Celine Naef.
Poland went into the second day of the Qualifiers in a commanding position following wins on day one for Swiatek over Simona Waltert followed by Magdalena Frech’s victory over Naef.
Swiatek took to court on Saturday in the knowledge that just one more point would secure Poland’s place in November’s Finals in Seville for a third consecutive year.
2022 title winners Switzerland, who were without their top two players Viktorija Golubic and Belinda Bencic, will compete in the Play-offs.
“I’m super happy and proud of everybody,” Swiatek said. “It’s been a really fun week so I’m happy that this time I could lead my team to be in the Finals.
“Hopefully we’re going to finish it in November, but I’m super proud of what we achieved for these two days and now we’ll have fun in doubles.”
Swiatek’s victory over a tenacious Naef sealed her seventh consecutive match win – her last defeat was back in 2019 against Ukraine’s Dayana Yastremska – but the world No.1 didn’t have it all her own way, especially in the second set.
“I feel like my focus went down a little bit, rookie mistake, and Celine for sure used it,” Swiatek admitted. “We are playing against good players, you can’t really have these moments, but I knew that I can refocus again and find my discipline so at the end I did that and I’m happy.”
While the presence of the world No.1 on the team was no doubt the boost the Poles were hoping for, it was Frech’s performance against Naef on day one that secured the 2-0 lead for the team.
Despite being 96 ranking places above the eighteen-year-old Swiss, Frech had no easy ride, with Naef’s never-say-die attitude hounding her to the end.
The teenager, who is yet to win a match in her country’s colours, played with impressive confidence and aggression, including breaking Frech to love in the second set before failing to serve out the match.
Frech’s ability to dig deep and get Poland over the line in an intense third set will be a boost for the 26-year-old, who had not won a tour-level match since February.
“I think I tried to be more aggressive, to play my game,” Frech said. “It’s not easy because I won my last match one month ago, or maybe more, so [my effort] was twice higher here.”
Swiatek’s two wins in Biel have continued an impressive year for the four-time Grand Slam winner.
“It’s been already a pretty great season,” she said. “I started better than last year so I’m feeling pretty confident and feel like I can just enjoy playing because I don’t need to focus on rankings or anything else so I’ll try to do that through to the end of the season.”
