Italy takes down Slovenia to reach Billie Jean King Cup final

Jasmine Paolini defeated Tamara Zidansek and Martina Trevisan beat Kaja Juvan as Italy secured a 2-0 victory over Slovenia in Seville, Spain, on Saturday to reach the Billie Jean King Cup final and stay on course for their fifth crown in the team competition.

Paolini survived a wobble midway through the second singles clash before the world No. 30 battled past Zidansek 6-2 4-6 6-3 to send her team through to the title clash, sparking huge celebrations from Italian fans at the Estadio de la Cartuja.

The 27-year-old Paolini was trailing 2-0 in the decider but quickly rediscovered her rhythm to dash the hopes of first-time semifinalists Slovenia, who were the lowest-ranked of the 12 countries in the competition.

Italy book their place in the final!