Carla Suárez's Team Secures 3-0 Victory Against Brazil in Billie Jean King Cup

Spain had a stellar day in the Billie Jean King Cup, formerly known as the Federation Cup. The team led by Carla Suárez dominated Brazil on Friday, securing all three points in the tie (3-0), which allows them to depend on themselves to reach the tournament's final eight.

Individual victories by Sara Sorribes and Jessica Bouzas, along with the doubles win by Sorribes and Cristina Bucsa, ensured a golden day for Spain. Now, if they defeat the Czechs this Saturday, they will be in the final stage in Shenzhen, China, in five months, scheduled from September 15 to 21.

Despite the surface not being ideal for the Spanish players, with a relatively fast court and indoor conditions, the Brazilians struggled even more to adapt. However, they were particularly stunned when their number one, Beatriz Haddad Maia, ranked 17th in the world, was unexpectedly defeated by Bouzas in her debut in the competition.

Earlier, Sorribes had convincingly defeated Laura Pigossi (6-3, 7-5) in a match filled with service breaks, but the player from Castellón was more decisive and always held the advantage on the scoreboard. This allowed her to play with more composure, especially in the second set when she went from leading 4-1 to 5-5.

After defeating the world's number 182, the tie reached the match the Brazilians expected to win. Haddad Maia, a Grand Slam semifinalist and former top ten player, faced the rookie Bouzas, who overcame her in two hours and twelve minutes (6-3, 4-6, 6-4).

Despite the Brazilian's poor form, having not won since January 16 and losing eight consecutive matches, Bouzas had to work hard to overcome her opponent, who had a break advantage in all three sets. In the first, the player from Pontevedra recovered from 0-3, and in the third, from losing the first serve of the set. Bouzas sealed the final wobbles with a winning parallel forehand, confirming Spain as the winner of the tie.

There was still the doubles match to decide whether Spain would be first or second in the group, after the Czech Republic defeated Brazil 2-1 on Friday. This was perhaps Spain's best chance, with bronze medalists Bucsa and Sorribes, who recently won the Bogotá tournament, and Bucsa also reached the final in Miami with Japanese partner Kato.

The duo did not disappoint. With a double 6-3, they defeated Pigossi and Luisa Stefani, who hadn't played together since 2021, putting Spain in a strong position to reach the tournament's final stage. Now the toughest challenge remains, defeating the host nation to secure a spot in Shenzhen in five months. The tie will be played this Saturday starting at 3:00 PM Spanish time.