Comeback wins for Navarro, Pegula send U.S. to Billie Jean King Cup final
The United States is back in the Billie Jean King Cup final for the first time since 2018 thanks to Emma Navarro and Jessica Pegula each scoring comeback singles victories to lift the Americans past Great Britain, 2-0, in a semifinal tie on Saturday in Shenzhen, China.
While the traveling British supporters cycled through soccer-style songs after nearly every point, the U.S. team cut through the noise to delight the American fans in the stadium and back home with a battling victory.
Navarro and Pegula each rallied from a set down to beat Sonay Kartal and Katie Boulter, respectively, to improve the USA's all-time record against Great Britain to 10-1. The two nations hadn't played since 1992, and the Brits haven't beaten the Americans in Billie Jean King Cup since 1970.
The U.S. will now face defending champions Italy in Sunday's final, which begins at 5 p.m. local time (5 a.m. ET).
Pegula sealed the U.S. victory with a 3-6, 6-4, 6-3 result against Boulter, finishing the job on the singles court after clinching in the doubles alongside Taylor Townsend vs. Kazakhstan.
"It was a battle both matches today for me and Emma. Happy to be through there," said Pegula, who saved nine of 13 break points in a dramatic contest. "I really wanted to not let that go to a doubles. Especially after against Kazakhstan [losing to Elena Rybakina], I wanted to prove that I'm playing as the No. 1 player on the team for a reason and close it out. So I'm glad I was able to turn that around."
In a very similar 3-6, 6-4, 6-2 win against Kartal, Navarro twice battled back from a break down in the second set and fought through deuce in a crucial hold for 5-4 in the frame. She never trailed in the final set, finishing the match seven-of-14 on break points.
"The level I walked off the court at was definitely higher than the level I walked onto the court with," she said of her performance. "That's kind of what I always try to do every time I step on the court, whether it's practice or a match. I always try to leave a little bit better than I came, as my coach says."
Jessica Pegula celebrates her tie-clinching win vs. Great Britain's Katie Boulter. Photo by Lintao Zhang/Getty Images for Billie Jean King Cup.
Emma Navarro defeated Sonay Kartal. Photo by Lintao Zhang/Getty Images for Billie Jean King Cup.
Lindsay Davenport is into her first final as Billie Jean King Cup captain. Photo by Zhe Ji/Getty Images for Billie Jean King Cup.
Taylor Townsend, Hailey Baptiste, McCartney Kessler, Emma Navarro and Jessica Pegula. Photo by Lintao Zhang/Getty Images for Billie Jean King Cup.
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All three of Navarro's Billie Jean King Cup matches have been three-set wins, including against Belgium in 2024 and Kazakhstan earlier this wek: "For sure I get a lot of confidence from knowing that I can be tough no matter the circumstances," she added.
On Sunday, the U.S. will seek to dethrone defending champions Italy. Led by world No. 5 Jasmine Paolini, the Italians defeated Ukraine in a Friday semifinal.
"We came here expecting tough battles in every match we were going to play," said captain Lindsay Davenport, who won three BJK Cup (then Fed Cup) titles as a player, in 1996, 1999 and 2000. "We'll expect the same tomorrow against the defending champions and a team that has played very well together."
The U.S. and Italy have an extensive history in this competition dating back to its debut year in 1963. While the U.S. leads the all-time head-to-head with a 10-5 record, the Italians have won the last five matchups, all played between 2009-15. Italy won the title four times between 2006-13.
The U.S. has won the Billie Jean King Cup title a record 18 times. Its last victory came in 2017 over Belarus in Minsk.
Sunday's final begins at 5 p.m. local time (5 a.m. ET), with Tennis Channel featuring live coverage in the U.S. Lineups will be set one hour prior to the start of the tie. The first team to win two of three matches wins the 2025 Billie Jean King Cup.
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