Czechia leads Ukraine 2:1 in Billie Jean King Cup qualifiers

The Czech women's tennis team are still leading Ukraine 2-1 after Grand Slam champion Barbora Krejčíková lost her second match in the 2023 Billie Jean King Cup qualifiers to the Ukrainian Marta Kostyuk 6-3, 1-6, 4-6 on Saturday morning.

After a strong start on Friday, with Krejčíková beating Ukraine's Katarina Zavatska 6-4 6-3 and Czechia's former Roland Garros runner-up Markéta Vondroušová defeating Marta Kostyuk 6-2 6-1, Czechia was 2-0 ahead of Ukraine in the best-of-five clash. But 2021 French Open champion Krejčíková was not able to follow up on her Friday victory over Zavatska, losing Saturday's match against the 20-year-old Kostyuk in two hours and six minutes.

If Markéta Vondroušová wins her next match on Saturday afternoon against Katarina Zavatksa, it will ensure the Czech team advances to the Billie Jean King Cup playoffs in November. If she loses, a decisive fifth doubles match will take place between Karolína Muchová and Linda Nosková against Ljudmila Kichenok and Dajana Jastremska.

The qualifiers are being played on neutral ground in the Turkish city of Antalya rather than in Ukraine, due to Russia's invasion of the latter country. The 27-year-old Krejčíková, who said she has been supporting the people of Ukraine during the conflict, also pledged her earnings from the qualifiers to the people of Turkey affected by the devastating earthquake in February.