Slovakia 4-0 Slovenia: Teenage Jamrichova shines in Bratislava
13/04/2024 14:37
Sixteen-year-old Renata Jamrichova became the toast of Slovakian tennis, securing the win that booked a place in November’s Finals in Seville
By Kevin Palmer
Junior world No.1 Renata Jamrichova confirmed she is making rapid strides in the game when she won the first professional title of her career at Sharm El-Shiekh earlier this month.
Now the 2024 Australian Open junior champion has a second Billie Jean King Cup win to add to her already impressive resume after she beat Slovenia’s world No.203 Veronika Erjavec, recording an emphatic 6-2 6-0 victory.
The scale of her achievement appeared to be hard for Jamrichova to comprehend as she was swamped by her team-mates on court after Erjavec put a backhand into the net to seal victory for Slovakia, ensuring they would be back in the Billie Jean King Cup Finals for the first time since 2022.
“It feels great to be here and that I had the trust of our captain to play the match,” Jamrichova said.
“It was a big test for me because it was the deciding point that meant we could win the tie and get through to the Finals, so I was a bit nervous at the beginning and really happy that I managed to win the match.”
Jamrichova revealed she was given the news by captain Matej Liptak that she would play the singles on Friday evening, which ensured she had plenty of time to think about the challenge ahead.
“I was really excited and on the other hand a bit nervous,” she added. “She [Erjavec] is a good runner and I knew she would serve to my backhand.
“I wanted to just play my game. Be solid from the back and I was happy that I didn’t make so many unforced errors.”
Jamrichova’s heroics wrapped up the tie for Slovakia after they had moved into a commanding position after the opening day in front of a passionate home crowd.
Liptak, who has been leading the Slovakian Billie Jean King Cup team for the past 15 years, suggested the outcome of the tie could have been very different. "The first day was really close matches and it could have been a different match," he said.
"For many years, we couldn't play in the Finals. It wasn't always easy to stay in the Qualifiers group, but in the last four years, we will have played the final three times.
"This group of players love to play for their country and love to play team competitions. We are looking forward to the tournament and we are looking forward to the Finals."
Liptak also spoke about Jamrichova's impressive performance, adding, "In the half year since she played her first match in the Billie Jean King Cup, she had won Australian Open juniors and one tournament in women's tennis, so she has improved to be a much better player.
"Every half year, every month, she had improved. Her potential is unbelievable. She had great defence and great offence. She has everything."
Anna Schmiedlova handed Slovakia the perfect start on Friday, taking a 6-4 6-3 win against Ela Nala Milic before Viktoria Hruncakova beat Erjavec 6-1 5-7 6-3, overcoming a wobble as she closed in on victory at the end of the second set.
With a 2-0 advantage secured, Liptak felt he could give Jamrichova more experience on the Billie Jean King Cup stage and the level of her performances bodes well for a player who appears to be ready to step out of the junior ranks.
At just SIXTEEN years old Renata Jamrichova has sealed Slovakia a place in the #BJKCup Finals 🤯 pic.twitter.com/ztV1hJVSEc
— Billie Jean King Cup (@BJKCup) April 13, 2024
Jamrichova made her debut in this competition last November, recording an impressive win against the highly ranked Nadia Podoroska and this latest performance confirmed she is growing rapidly into a mature performer.
Now Jamrichova will be relishing the prospect of a debut appearance in the Billie Jean King Cup Finals in November.
Slovenia captain Andrej Krasevec gave his verdict on the defeat, conceding his team had been outplayed.
"I must congratulate Slovakia," Krasevec said. "Their players were better. We fought as hard as we could. We have nothing to blame the girls for.
"Just as there is joy in victory, there is also disappointment in defeat. That is part of sport. We have learned something new. We are still among the best teams, which means we can fight for a place in next year's final tournament.
"Now we wait for the draw. We have a new match in November. I hope we will play with our best players, so I am counting on Kaja Juvan and Tamara Zidansek to be back. We will do everything to make sure that happens."
Slovakia made it a clean sweep of matches as Hruncakova and Tereza Mihalikova secured a 6-1 2-6 [10-6] win over Pia Lovric and Milic in the doubles.
Slovakia v Slovenia
