Naomi Osaka, Iga Swiatek and Emma Raducanu earn wins in the Billie Jean King Cup. Australia advances
Marcela Zacarias of Mexico plays during her match against Daria Saville of Australia during the Billie Jean King Cup at Pat Rafter Arena in Brisbane, Friday, April 12, 2024. (Darren England/AAP Image via AP)[ASSOCIATED PRESS/Darren England]
LONDON (AP) — Naomi Osaka put Japan a step away from reaching the Billie Jean King Cup Finals with a 6-2, 7-6 (5) victory over Kazakhstan’s Yulia Putintseva. The four-time Grand Slam champion’s win in Tokyo on Friday followed Nao Hibino’s 6-1, 6-0 victory over Anna Danilina to give Japan a 2-0 lead in the qualifying round for the women’s team competition. Iga Swiatek helped Poland go ahead 2-0 against Switzerland, and Emma Raducanu evened things at 1-all for Britain against France. The BJK Cup Finals will be held in Spain in November. The winners in qualifying will join Canada, Italy, Spain and the Czech Republic in the Finals.
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Naomi Osaka, of Japan, hits a return to Caroline Garcia, of France, during the Miami Open tennis tournament, Sunday, March 24, 2024, in Miami Gardens, Fla. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)
Photo: ASSOCIATED PRESS/Lynne Sladky