Cheers All Around: The U.S. edges Ukraine in Billie Jean King Cup qualifying
The sights, sounds and shots from Asheville, N.C.
The United States entered Day 2 of its Billie Jean King Cup qualifying tie against Ukraine holding a 2-0 lead, and without having dropped a set. Victory seemed imminent in this best-of-five contest. But the unpredictability of team tennis competition showed itself once again in Asheville, N.C., as the Americans needed its very last opportunity to secure passage to the BJK Cup Final later this year.
There was ample support for the visitors in North Carolina, and Dayana Yastremska repaid them with a 6-3, 6-4 win over American No. 1 (in this tie) Jessica Pegula.
"My heart stays at home and I really want to go back there, but my mind is here and I have to play," said Yastremska. "I have a responsibility on my sister."
While Yastremska's win was an upset, it wasn't close to the shock of the fourth rubber: another 6-3, 6-4 win, this time by 201st-ranked Katarina Zavatska, over veteran Shelby Rogers. This time, it was the Ukrainian who was the giant-killer.
In the end, Pegula atoned for her third-match loss—alongside a Billie Jean King Cup rookie, Asia Muhammad. The 31-year-old was poised in a pressure-setting, and helped oust Yastremska and Lyudmyla Kichenok, 7-6 (5), 6-3.
As Ukraine left to resounding cheers, the Americans had cheers of a different kind in sight.