|
|
(Seoul = Yonhap News) Reporter Kim Dong-chan = The Korean women’s national tennis team will face Kazakhstan in the Billy Jean King Cup playoffs, a national competition. Korea will play an away game in the Billy Jean King Cup playoffs in Astana, Kazakhstan for two days starting on the 16th.
The Billy Jean King Cup consists of the finals, which is the world’s top 12, followed by the qualifiers, which are the lower levels, and the playoffs.
The structure is such that the eight countries that won in the playoffs advance to the qualifiers, face off against the eight countries that went down in the finals, and the winning country advances to the finals next season.
Korea advanced to the playoffs last year, but lost 0-4 to Brazil and was pushed back to Group 1 in the Asia-Oceania region, and advanced to the playoffs again this year.
Korea’s national team consisted of Baek Da-yeon (314th, NH Nonghyup Bank), Park So-hyun (355th), Koo Yeon-woo (418th, Seongnam City Hall), and Kim Da-bin (999th, Gangwon Provincial Office).
In terms of objective power, Kazakhstan, with 2022 Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakhina (6th) on the list of players, is ahead.
In addition to Rybakina, Kazakhstan’s lineup includes Yulia Putintseva (29th), Zhibek Kulambaeva (328th), Zarina Dias (383rd), and Anna Danilina (895th).
Kazakhstan is expected to not use Rybakina, but instead use Putintseva as its ace.
National team coach Kim Jeong-bae said, “It is true that Kazakhstan is one step ahead because we are made up of young players,” and pledged, “I will do my best to see the match in the second singles and carry it forward to the doubles.”
If Korea defeats Kazakhstan, it will advance to the qualifier to be held in the first half of 2025, and if it loses, it will return to Group 1 in the Asia-Oceania region at a similar time.
