US thwart Ukraine's rally to reach Billie Jean King Cup finals along with Poland, Czechs

Ukraine came up just short in a thrilling comeback bid on Saturday, falling 3-2 to the United States, who booked their spot in the Billie Jean King Cup Finals. Trailing 0-2 to start the day, Ukraine had singles wins from Dayana Yastremska and Katarina Zavatska to pull level before Asia Muhammad and Jessica Pegula beat Yastremska and Lyudmyla Kichenok in the decisive doubles match 7-6 (7/5), 6-3. The final match capped an emotional week in Asheville, North Carolina, where Ukrainian players acknowledged it was hard to concentrate on the task at hand amid worry over family and friends at home during the ongoing Russian invasion. "I always like to represent my country but now at this moment it's, well, it's tough to describe it," Yastremska said after her 6-3, 6-4 victory over Pegula. "My heart stays at home, but my mind is here." At least the Ukrainians had moments to celebrate, including 201st-ranked Zavatska's 6-3, 6-4 upset of 46th-ranked Shelby Rogers that leveled the tie at 2-2.

"I was in the zone," an ecstatic Zavatska said after her first career win over a top-50 player. The US were the last to clinch their spot in the finals on a day that saw world number one Iga Swiatek of Poland crush Romania's 324th-ranked Andreea Prisacariu 6-0, 6-0 in 45 minutes to seal victory for the hosts in Radom. "Really proud of us," said Swiatek, who only dropped one game in her two singles rubbers this weekend. "It has been a long journey. It took us a few years, step by step to progress and qualify finally." Poland will be hoping to improve on their best-ever performance in the competition -- a quarter-final run in 1992 -- in the finals in November.

In Prague, the Czechs secured victory over Britain in a deciding doubles rubber, with