Spain's tennis team advanced to the Billie Jean King Cup semifinals on Wednesday after edging Kazakhstan 2-1 in Shenzhen, China. The win marks the country's first final four appearance since 2008.
Doubles Thriller Decides Billie Jean King Cup Quarterfinal
Jessica Bouzas Maneiro got Spain off to a strong start in the tournament with a 6-2, 6-2 singles victory over Sonja Zhiyenbayeva. Kazakhstan answered through Yulia Putintseva, who topped Cristina Bucsa 6-2, 3-6, 6-1 to level the tie. That pushed the quarterfinal to a decisive doubles contest.
From there, Bucsa teamed with Sara Sorribes Tormo to close it out 6-2, 7-5 over Anna Danilina and Zhibek Kulambayeva. The Spanish pair fended off 18 of 20 break points in the match, holding strong when it mattered most.
Spain now faces Czechia on Friday. The Czech side, led by Wimbledon champion Linda Nosková and Marie Bouzková, swept Britain 2-0 on Tuesday to reach the semis. Nosková and Bouzková won their singles matches against Katie Boulter and Sonay Kartal, avoiding a doubles third-round.
Once a dominant force in the competition with five titles during the 1990s, Spain has been absent from this stage for nearly two decades. Czechia, meanwhile, is chasing it 12th crown at the Billie Jean King Cup.
