The Italian tennis team started the final round of the Billie Jean King Cup in Seville with a 2-1 win against France in the duel between the two German group opponents.
By winning their two singles, Jasmine Paolini and Martina Trevisan gave the four-time cup winners from Italy an unassailable 2-0 lead before the final doubles on Wednesday.
Paolini won a rousing slugfest against Caroline Garcia 7-6 (8-6), 5-7, 6-4 after Trevisan had previously beaten Alize Cornet 2-6, 6-2, 6-2. Garcia won the doubles with Kristina Mladenovic against Trevisan and Elisabetta Cocciaretto 5:7, 6:2, 10:6 for France.
At the Billie Jean King Cup Finals (formerly the Fed Cup finals), a total of twelve nations will initially be competing in four groups of three. The German team will take part in the tournament for the first time on Thursday (10 a.m./Tennis Channel) against Italy. The selection is led by team captain Rainer Schüttler from the world number 58. Tatjana Maria (Bad Saulgau).