BNP Paribas World Team Cup: Netherlands secure 34th women's title
The Netherlands sealed a 34th BNP Paribas World Team Cup women’s World Group title on Saturday’s penultimate day of the ITF’s flagship wheelchair tennis team event, as six-time ITF World Champion Diede de Groot fittingly delivered the winning backhand at the end of the week that signalled her return to international competition.
Top seeds the Netherlands beat second seeds Japan 2-1, with De Groot and Aniek van Koot defeating Yui Kamiji and Saki Takamuro 6-4 6-7(5) (10-4) under floodlights in Antalya after De Groot had beaten Takamuro and Kamiji had beaten Van Koot – both for the loss of just three games - in the two singles matches.
Current world No. 3 De Groot’s 6-2 6-1 win over Takamuro and world No. 1 Kamiji’s 6-1 6-2 win over world No.2 Koot definitely proved to be the hors d’oeuvre before the main course as De Groot and Van Koot paired up for the first time since losing out to Kamij and Manami Tanaka in the Paris 2024 Paralympic women’s doubles final.
However, on this occasion, with Tanaka playing a supporting role from the sidelines, it was Japan who were on the back foot approaching the final stages of the match, coming from 5-3 down in the second set and then needing all five of their set points at 6-5 before forcing the deciding match tie-break.
Netherlands made a rapid star to the match tie-break, taking a 4-0 lead, an advantage that they never looked like relinquishing. After the late night drama, with De Groot's final spinning backhand struck as the clock neared 22:10 in Antalya, the Netherlands will receive their trophy during Sunday's final day of competition in Turkiye.
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Chile make history to reach men’s final against Japan
The men’s World Group will have a brand new finalist on the sixth and last day of competition as sixth seeds Chile continued to build on the successes of an unprecedented week after defeating former champions France 2-0 in their semi-final.
A year on from Chile’s previous best finish of fifth, Brayan Tapia and Alexander Cataldo defeated Frederic Cattaneo and Gaetan Menguy.
Tapia’s 6-4 6-3 win over Cattaneo was his first in five matches against the Frenchman as they met in BNP Paribas World Team Cup competition for the second time since 2022.
Menguy took Cataldo to a third and deciding set for the third time in their three career matches, but as in their previous two head-to-heads Cataldo had the final say, prevailing 6-2 3-6 6-2.
Top seeds Japan defeated Great Britain 2-0 in the other semi-final, despite world No.1 Tokito Oda dropping a set to Britain’s Ben Bartram for the first time.