USA sweep into BJK Cup Finals with France, Czech Republic

Jessica Pegula sealed victory for the United States over Austria on Saturday as the record 18-time champions secured their place in the Billie Jean King Cup Finals.

World number three Pegula made quick work of Julia Grabher, winning 6-1, 6-3, to give the heavily favoured Americans an unassailable 3-0 lead over Austria in their tie in Delray Beach, Florida.

"I really wanted to clinch today," said Pegula. "It's so much more exciting when you get to guarantee your team through."

It was a second singles victory in 24 hours for Pegula after she followed up Coco Gauff's opening win over Grabher on Friday by defeating Sinja Kraus in straight sets.

Gauff skipped the singles game against Kraus but secured a 4-0 win for the Americans with a doubles victory alongside Caty McNally against Melanie Klaffner and Kraus.

Canada defeated Belgium 3-2 with Leylah Fernandez and Gabriela Dabrowski winning the deciding doubles game with a 6-1, 6-2 victory over Kirsten Flipkens and Greet Minnen.

In Saturday's singles games, Minnen beat Katherine Sebov 6-2, 3-6, 6-3, and Fernandez fought back for a 4-6, 7-5, 6-2 win over Ysaline Bonaventure.

The Czech Republic saw off Ukraine 3-1, with Marketa Vondrousova earning the winning point against Katarina Zavatska 6-3, 6-4, after former French Open champion Barbora Krejcikova lost 3-6, 6-1, 6-4 to 38th-ranked Marta Kostyuk.

On Friday, 12th-ranked Krejcikova eased past Zavatska after 2019 Roland Garros runner-up Vondrousova dispatched Kostyuk.

The matches were played in the Turkish city of Antalya because of the war in Ukraine.

World number five Caroline Garcia sent France through with a 6-1, 6-7 (10/12), 6-1 win over Britain's Harriet Dart in Coventry.

Britain, which reached the semi-finals last year, were missing Emma Raducanu, leaving 138th-ranked Dart as their top singles player.

On Friday, Garcia and Alize Cornet had to play almost six hours between them to edge out Katie Boulter 6-7 (2/7), 7-6 (7/4), 7-6 (7/2) and Dart 7-6 (8/6), 7-6 (7/3) respectively.

"She (Garcia) knew the job was not done yet, yesterday evening she told me 'I'm ready to go tomorrow'," said France captain Julien Benneteau.

- Rybakina leads Kazakhstan -
 

Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina beat Poland's Magda Linette to wrap up victory for Kazakhstan.

Rybakina won 6-4, 6-2 in the third rubber in Astana having also won Friday against Weronika Falkowska when teammate Yulia Putintseva defeated Linette.

"I'm delighted that Kazakhstan will be able to fly our flag on this big stage once again," said Rybakina after the tie against a Polish side missing injured world number one Iga Swiatek.

Nuria Parrizas Diaz secured Spain's win over Mexico on clay in Marbella, breezing past 196th-ranked Marcela Zacarias 6-3, 6-0.

Parrizas Diaz also won her singles match in straight sets on Friday, along with Sara Sorribes Tormo, to ensure Spain's presence in the finals in November at a venue to be decided.

In Stuttgart, Germany's Anna-Lena Friedsam made up for losing the hosts' opening rubber by clinching the winning point with a 6-1, 6-0 thrashing of Brazil's Laura Pigossi.

"It was really a golden day for me -- I played unbelievably well," said Friedsam, ranked 91.

She had lost in three sets to world number 14 Beatriz Haddad Maia on Friday before Tatjana Maria saved a match point to haul Germany level against Pigossi.

Jule Niemeier earlier defeated Haddad Maia 7-6 (7/3), 3-6, 6-2.

Italy got the better of Slovakia 3-2 as Martina Trevisan and Elisabetta Cocciaretto beat Viktoria Hruncakova and Tereza Mihalikova 6-4, 4-6, 7-5 in the deciding doubles.

Slovakia rallied from a 2-0 deficit with singles wins on Saturday for Anna Karolina Schmiedlova and Hruncakova but could not complete the turnaround despite leading 5-3 in the final set of the doubles.

On Sunday, Slovenia earned their berth with doubles duo Kaja Juvan and Tamara Zidansek sealing a 3-2 win over Romania in the rain-interrupted decisive rubber.

Slovenia trailed 2-0 at home in Koper after Friday's action but fought back with Zidansek and Juvan both winning their singles matches.

Defending champions Switzerland and 2022 runners-up Australia received automatic qualification to the November 7-12 finals, which will feature four groups of three.

The nine qualifying nations are Slovenia, France, the United States, Germany, Italy, the Czech Republic, Kazakhstan, Spain and Canada.

A 12th and final team, yet to be determined, will receive an invitation.