Voting open for Billie Jean King Cup Heart Award
09/12/2022 01:00The nominees have been announced for the Billie Jean King Cup Heart Award for the 2022 Finals and Play-offs - and, as always, the winners will be chosen by the fans
The nominees have been announced for the Billie Jean King Cup Heart Award for the 2022 Finals and Play-offs - and, as always, the winners will be chosen by the fans.
The Billie Jean King Cup Heart Award aims to recognise players who have represented their country with distinction, shown exceptional courage on court and demonstrated outstanding commitment to the team.
Voting closes at 12:00 GMT on Thursday 15 December and the winners will be announced on Friday 16 December.
Continue reading to find out more about each of the nominees, and click here to vote for your favourites.
Finals shortlist
Alicia Barnett/Olivia Nicholls (GBR)
Duo made their Billie Jean King Cup debuts, winning both matches in the group stage – the latter of which (a victory against Spain’s Aliona Bolsova/Rebeka Masarova) secured Great Britain’s place in the semi-finals for the first time since 1981. Pushed Australia’s Storm Sanders/Samantha Stosur all the way in the decisive doubles match of the semi-finals, eventually falling in a match tiebreak.
Storm Sanders (AUS)
Ranked outside the Top 200, won 3 of the 4 singles matches she played as Australia finished runners-up, with her only defeat coming to Jil Teichmann, in 3 sets, in the opening match of the final. Also partnered Samantha Stosur to 2 doubles victories, including the decisive doubles match of the semi-final tie against Great Britain, with the pair defeating Alicia Barnett/Olivia Nicholls in a match tiebreak.
Belinda Bencic (SUI)
Won all 5 matches she contested, without dropping a set, as Switzerland won their first Billie Jean King Cup title. Having won 4 of the 5 matches she contested at the 2021 Finals, where Switzerland finished as runners-up, she has now won 9 of her last 10 matches in the competition.
Jil Teichmann (SUI)
Won both singles matches she contested at the Finals in 3 tough sets – recording hard-fought victories against Italy’s Elisabetta Cocciaretto in the group stage and against Australia’s Storm Sanders in the final.
Play-offs shortlist
Kaja Juvan (SLO)
Recorded a pair of impressive victories against 2 higher-ranked players as Slovenia defeated China, P.R. to advance to the Qualifiers for the first time. Defeated Wang Xiyu in straight sets on Friday before coming from a set down to overcome Zheng Qinwen on Saturday.
Beatriz Haddad Maia (BRA)
Maintained her unbeaten Billie Jean King Cup season, with 2 more victories – against Nadia Podoroska and Maria Lourdes Carle – to add to the 5 wins she claimed at the Americas Group I event in April. Those results guided Brazil back to the Qualifiers after having to compete at Group I-level this year.
Marta Kostyuk (UKR)
Elevated to No. 1 in the Ukrainian team due to the injury-enforced absence of Dayana Yastremska, she led a squad of just 3 players to an impressive away victory in Japan, defeating both Misaki Doi and Moyuka Uchijima in straight sets.
Sinja Kraus (AUT)
Won 2 of her 3 matches in Austria’s narrow 3-2 victory over Latvia. Defeated Daniela Vismane on Friday and pushed Jelena Ostapenko in a 3-set loss on Saturday, before returning to court alongside Melanie Klaffner to win a decisive doubles match against Ostapenko and Diana Marcinkevica.