Svitolina: I want to be remembered as a fighter for my country

Whichever way you look at it, Japan would appear to have their work cut out against a powerful Ukraine outfit intent on blazing a trail to the Billie Jean King Cup by BNP Paribas Qualifiers in 2022.

That is what is at stake on the clay courts of Chornomorsk – a city located around the Sukhyi Estuary which leads to the Black Sea – as the two nations prepare for battle in the competition’s Play-offs.

Ukraine and Japan will also be among the first teams to compete under the rebranded Billie Jean King Cup banner, with the tournament in its previous guise of Fed Cup the last time they took to the court back in February 2020.

As they did then, Ukraine, who recorded victories against Bulgaria, Croatia and Estonia to gain promotion from Europe/Africa Group I, have the most potent weapon in their armoury, world No. 5 Elina Svitolina, waiting in the wings.

The 26-year-old will open proceedings tomorrow against world No. 223 Chihiro Muramatsu and is determined to do all she can in the coming years to make her nation’s presence felt on the international stage.

“I want to be remembered as a fighter for my country,” said Svitolina, who is the highest-ranked player featuring during this round of Billie Jean King Cup fixtures. “I want to win everything that I play and I always try to do my best and be at my best for Ukraine.

"We have a very strong team and, for me, it is all about team spirit. We have very good and warm relationships with each other and that is very important.

"It is also important for me to be helpful to young players and to share my experience and try to help them improve their game.”

Unfortunately for Japan, they are without their star turn, four-time Grand Slam winner Naomi Osaka, while Misaki Doi and Kurumi Nara, who played in their last clash against Spain more than a year ago, are also absent.  

But the lack of more established performers presents opportunities for up and coming players to thrust themselves into the limelight and Japan will be anchored by Yuki Naito, who has made significant strides in recent years.

In March, the 20-year-old, who won mixed doubles gold at the 2018 Youth Olympic Games, climbed to a career-high ranking of No. 169 after claiming her sixth professional singles title – and first of the season – at W25 in Buenos Aires.

It would be quite the insert on her career CV to upset the odds and post a victory against someone of Svitolina’s calibre or indeed that of Marta Kostyuk, Ukraine’s other top 100 player, who she plays in tomorrow’s second match.

Kostyuk defeated Naito during a last-four tussle at the 2017 Junior Billie Jean King Cup Finals in Budapest before Japan retaliated and eventually triumphed, only to succumb to the United States in the final.

Four years on and Naito is part of a team full of Billie Jean King Cup rookies, with Muramatsu, Shiho Akita and Himari Sato also making their competition debuts. The task may appear a daunting one, but Naito sees a bigger picture.

“I am very grateful to play for Japan,” said Naito. “I played Junior Billie Jean King Cup but now I’m playing Billie Jean King Cup for real and I am ready to play Billie Jean King Cup.

“Everybody in the team is playing in the competition for the first time and we are all having fun and we feel we are in a good place. Talking with the coaches and the captain is so helpful as they have experience and that is good for all of us.

“It doesn’t matter how we play; it will be great experience for us. I am just going to try to do my best and see how it goes.”

Ominously for Japan, Ukraine have an impressive record when Svitolina plays and have won seven of their last nine ties dating back to February 2015 when the two-time Grand Slam semi-finalist has reported for national service.

For Svitolina – fresh from announcing her engagement to fellow tennis star Gael Monfils – this will be her and Ukraine’s first Billie Jean King Cup clash on their own turf since 2017. It is also something of a homecoming for her having been born just down the road in Odessa and a regular at the Elite Tennis Club during her youth.

“It’s unbelievable to come back to the place that I started and that does make this tie extra special,” added Svitolina.

“I practised at the club when I was little, waking up really early to come from Odessa to train before school and I put in a lot of hours on those courts.

“This place is very special for me and I have very warm memories. Hopefully this tie is not going to disappoint and affect those memories and I can help bring the win for Ukraine.”

But Ukraine’s firepower does not start and end with Svitolina. Kostyuk, who remains Ukraine’s youngest Billie Jean King Cup player having made her debut aged 15, is joined by top 150 player Katarina Zavatska. Twins Nadiia and Lyudmyla Kichenok, who are both ranked within the top 50 of the doubles standings and set to play Akita and Sato on Saturday, complete the roster.

Kostyuk, like Svitolina, is raring to go and the 18-year-old is thrilled to be able to count on the support and advice of her more experienced teammate, who she incidentally faced in the third round at the 2018 Australian Open – her Grand Slam debut.

"I am super-excited because this is one of my favourite events of the year because I am growing closer with my teammates – I love my girls – and it's a great time," she said.

"I honestly also believe that as long as Elina is playing we can win Billie Jean King Cup. I am so lucky to be able to share dinner with her and to talk about things I want to talk about. She is able to give me the view from a top 5 player.

"As I say, with Elina I believe we can always win and we are just going to do our best to do it. All you want to do is win and, if we can, it will be even more special to do it as a team and not by yourself."

If Japan are going to claim victory, they are not only going to have to spring the odd surprise here and there, but also turn the tide against an unwanted statistic – not since 2004 have they triumphed in Billie Jean King Cup on clay.  

Shinobu Asagoe was the protagonist the last time they did, against Bulgaria in Plovdiv, as she chalked up two singles wins and a decisive doubles triumph for good measure. Eight clay-court matches have since been and gone without Japan tasting victory, although nobody in the Japanese camp is throwing in the towel. 

The scene is set and the time for talking over. Let battle commence.