Czechia sweeps past Spain to reach first Billie Jean King Cup final since 2018.

Czechia advanced to the Billie Jean King Cup final by sweeping Spain 2-0 in the semifinal in Shenzhen. KarolĂna Muchová opened with a straight-sets win over Jessica Bouzas Maneiro, and Wimbledon champion Linda Nosková clinched the tie by defeating Cristina BucČ™a in a tiebreak first set and 6-2 second set. It is the Czechs’ first final appearance since 2018, and they will face either Ukraine or defending champion Italy on Sunday as they seek another title.
KarolĂna Muchová was playing her first match since the US Open and said it took time to find her game. She trailed Jessica Bouzas Maneiro 2-4 in the opening set before breaking back and going on to win in an hour and 40 minutes.
Muchová said her opening win eased the pressure on Linda Nosková: “bringing the first point to our locker room, while also giving Linda some, let’s say, air so she doesn’t feel as much pressure to win, is important.”
Nosková had led 5-2 in the first set but missed two set points; she recovered from 2-4 down in the tiebreak to take it 7-5. She then won five straight games after trailing 1-2 in the second set.
Czechia is pursuing its 12th Billie Jean King Cup title. Nosková said the team wanted to make captain Barbora Strýcová proud, noting that Strýcová was on the team the last time the Czechs won the competition.
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