What's at stake in the Billie Jean King Cup Qualifiers this week
09/04/2024 14:24
With 51 teams in action across the Billie Jean King Cup by Gainbridge this week, there is all to play for. Here’s a breakdown of what the teams are fighting for…
By Ed Pearson
Qualifiers
This year’s Qualifiers sees 16 teams going head-to-head in the following eight ties:
Australia v Mexico
Switzerland v Poland
France v Great Britain
USA v Belgium
Japan v Kazakhstan
Brazil v Germany
Slovakia v Slovenia
Ukraine v Romania
The eight winners from the Qualifiers will book their place in the 2024 Billie Jean King Cup Finals alongside Canada (2023 champions), Italy (2023 runners-up), Spain (host) and Czechia (wild card).
The teams that lose in this year’s Qualifiers will compete in the Play-offs later this year, from where they will be looking to earn a place in the 2025 BJK Cup Qualifiers.
Group I
This week also sees the three regional Group I events taking place:
Americas Group I – Bogota, Colombia
Asia/Oceania Group I – Changsha, China, P.R.
Europe/Africa Group I – Oeiras, Portugal
Each Group I event provides the opportunity for teams to book a place in this year’s Play-offs (alongside the eight nations that lose in the Qualifiers).
Four teams can advance from Europe/Africa I and two teams from each of Americas I and Asia/Oceania I.
As such, a nation competing in one of the regional Group I events this year could find themselves in next year’s BJK Cup Finals if they can string a run of results together.
But nations in Group I also run the risk of being relegated to Group II in 2025, with the bottom two teams dropping down from each regional event.
Group II
For the 11 teams competing at the Europe/Africa Group II event in Vilnius, Lithuania this week, the goal is to win promotion to Group I in 2025 and to avoid relegation to Group III.
Two teams will go up to Europe/Africa Group I; two teams will be relegated to their respective regional Group III event – either Europe III or Africa III – next term.
