Coco Gauff and Jessica Pegula lead the U.S. Billie Jean King Cup Team to the doorstep of the 2023 Finals Qualification with their impressive performances at the Delray Beach Tennis Center, Florida. Both players won their singles matches on Friday, putting the U.S. up 2-0 in the competition against Austria.
Nineteen-year-old Gauff, currently ranked No.6 in the world, dominated Julia Grabher with a score of 6-1 6-3 to record her first career Billie Jean King Cup singles win. The Delray native’s confidence and precision on the court were on full display, as she wowed the home crowd with her dynamic play. Pegula, who lives nearby in Boca Raton, had a tougher time against Austrian Sinja Kraus but ultimately emerged victorious with a score of 6-0 7-5.
The U.S. team will be looking to close out the competition on Saturday with just one more win needed to secure their place in the 2023 Billie Jean King Cup Finals. Pegula is scheduled to face Grabher in the first match of the day at 2 p.m. local time, with Gauff set to follow against Kraus. If the tie goes to five matches, Danielle Collins and Caty McNally will take the court for the doubles match against Kraus and Melanie Klaffner.
The pressure will be on Austria to mount a comeback and force a fifth match. Saturday’s schedule and matchups may be adjusted if one nation clinches victory in the third or fourth match of the weekend.
