Slovenia beat Australia in Billie Jean King Cup Finals

SEVILLE: Last year’s Billie Jean King Cup runner-up Australia suffered an awful start to the Finals as it lost to Slovenia in its opening Group B match in Seville on Tuesday. Kaja Juvan got outsider Slovenia off to a flyer with a 6-4, 6-1 defeat of a rusty Ajla Tomljanovic.

Former French Open semifinalist Tamara Zidansek then overcame Daria Saville 6-1, 6-4 to give Slovenia an unassailable lead, although a doubles rubber was still to be played. A strong-looking Kazakhstan team is the other country in Group B.

The 12 qualifying nations are split into four sections of three with the group winners progressing to the semifinals.

Injured Spanish tennis player Paula Badosa is looking forward to returning to action in the Billy Jean King Cup.

Badosa spoke about her recovery from injury at a press conference on Monday.

“I had to be patient, because she really wanted to play again,” she said, admitting that time on the sidelines had helped her change her view on the sport.

“Looking at it from another perspective, now I believe that tennis is not everything in my life. I have been doing other things, and it is good to know yourself, so I have also enjoyed this time,” she confessed. Agencies

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