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France, Spain qualify for BJKCup Final / Photo: © AFP/File
France, Spain qualify for BJKCup Final
France and Spain qualified for the Billie Jean King Cup Finals on Saturday both taking unassailable 3-0 leads against Britain and Mexico respectively.
World number five Caroline Garcia gave France the winning point indoors in Coventry with a 6-1, 6-7 (10/12), 6-1 win over Britain's Harriet Dart.
On Friday, Garcia and Alize Cornet had to play almost six hours to dominate 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.
On clay in Marbella, Nuria Parrizas Diaz, ranked 80, sealed victory for hosts Spain with a 6-3, 6-0 win over 196th-ranked Marcela Zacarías.
Parrizas Diaz also won her singles tie in straight sets on Saturday along with Sara Sorribes Tormo to ensure Spain's presence in the finals in November at a venue to be decided.
Britain, who reached the semi-finals last year, were missing Emma Raducanu, leaving 117th-ranked Dart as their top singles player.
Record 18-time champions the United States, led by top-10 players Jessica Pegula and Coco Gauff are 2-0 up against Austria in Delray Beach.
On Friday, Gauff beat Julia Grabher 6-1, 6-3, before number three ranked Pegula defeated Sinja Kraus 6-0, 7-5.
The best-of-five-match contest continues Saturday with up to two matches in singles and one in doubles.
Defending champions Switzerland and 2022 runners-up Australia received direct entrance to the November 7-12 finals, which will feature four groups of three.
F. Burkhard--BTZ
