A composed performance from Hailey Baptiste and a gutsy comeback from Bernarda Pera propelled the U.S. Billie Jean King Cup Team into the 2025 Finals with a 2-1 victory over Slovakia on Sunday in Bratislava, securing the top spot in Qualifying Group C.
Making their Billie Jean King Cup debuts, Baptiste and Pera combined for a perfect 4-0 singles record, leading the U.S. to victories over Denmark and host Slovakia.
USA 3, Denmark 0
Hailey Baptiste (USA) def. Rebecca Munk Mortensen (DEN), 6-1 6-4
Bernarda Pera (USA) def. Johanne Svendsen (DEN), 6-3 6-1
Desirae Krawczyk/Asia Muhammad (USA) def. Laura Brunkel/Emilie Francati (DEN), 6-4 6-1
USA 2, Slovakia 1
Hailey Baptiste (USA) def. Renata Jamrichova (SVK), 6-3 6-4
Bernarda Pera (USA) def. Rebecca Sramkova (SVK), 7-6(2) 7-5
Tereza Mihalikova/Mia Pohankova (SVK) def. Desirae Krawczyk/Asia Muhammad (USA), 6-4 6-3
On Sunday, Baptiste gave Team USA a 1-0 lead in the decisive tie against Slovakia, followed by a thrilling comeback from Pera, who battled from 0-4 down in the second set to defeat world No. 37 Sramkova and clinch the team’s berth in the 2025 Finals.
The American squad saw some reshuffling ahead of the event, with Jessica Pegula, Danielle Collins, and McCartney Kessler withdrawing prior to the tie. In response, Alycia…
