Defending Champions Italy Battle Into Bjk Cup Semis

Defending champions Italy battled into nan Billie Jean King Cup semi-finals pinch a brace of comeback singles wins against China.

Elisabetta Cocciaretto threw herself to nan level successful alleviation aft producing an bonzer comeback to hit Yue Yuan 4-6 7-5 7-5 successful nan first singles lucifer successful Shenzhen, China.

Cocciaretto was a group and 5-2 down and recovered herself trailing 4-0 successful nan decider earlier someway rallying to victory.

Yuan doubly served for nan lucifer but Cocciaretto collapsed her connected some occasions, and won nan last 5 games of nan deciding group to springiness Italy nan lead.

"Thanks to my captain, my team, my coach, I came backmost and fought until nan past point," Cocciaretto said.

"We put other power successful erstwhile we play for our flag."

World number 8 Jasmine Paolini past gave Italy an unassailable 2-0 lead pinch a 4-6 7-6 (7-4) 6-4 triumph complete Wang Xinyu.

Wang besides served for nan lucifer successful nan 2nd group but was surgery by Paolini - to nan disappointment of a boisterous location crowd.

Paolini past came done a tight deciding group to group up a semi-final against either Spain aliases Ukraine.

"Today was a spot reliable for me, but I tried to enactment location for nan bench, nan Italian fans, for nan country," Paolini said.

The doubles lucifer betwixt nan 2 teams was cancelled pinch nan best-of-three necktie already decided.

Great Britain, led by Katie Boulter, statesman their bid for a first BJK Cup title connected Thursday against Japan, pinch nan necktie unrecorded crossed nan BBC.