The decisive match saw Iga Świątek and Katarzyna Kawa lose to Sara Errani and Jasmine Paolini, 7-5, 7-5. The victory gave Italy a 2-1 win in the international teams' tournament.
The tie began with Magda Linette losing to Lucia Bronzetti in a closely contested singles match, 4-6, 6-7 (3-7). Świątek, the world number 2, leveled the score with a hard-fought victory over Paolini, 3-6, 6-4, 6-4, setting the stage for a tense doubles showdown.
Despite being underdogs, Świątek and Kawa put up a strong fight against the Italian duo, who entered the match as favorites. Errani and Paolini are the reigning Olympic champions in doubles and boast significant experience, with Errani holding five Grand Slam doubles titles.
In the first set, the Polish pair led 5-4 and had three set points on their opponents’ serve but failed to capitalize.
The second set saw an early break against the Polish team, but they surged back with impressive play, winning five consecutive games to take a commanding 5-1 lead. However, Italy responded with flawless tennis, reeling off six straight games to claim the set and the match.
Italy advanced to the Billie Jean King Cup final for the second consecutive year. Poland, making its first-ever semifinal appearance, marked a milestone in the competition, previously known as the Fed Cup before being renamed in 2020 to honor Billie Jean King, a 12-time Grand Slam champion and trailblazer in women’s tennis.
The second semifinal will feature Great Britain against Slovakia, with the final scheduled for Wednesday.
