ASTANA - Kazakhstan advanced to the Billie Jean King Cup finals for the second time after defeating Poland 3-1 in their qualifier on Saturday while France brushed aside last year’s semi-finalists Britain. Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina had helped Kazakhstan build a 2-0 lead on Friday and the world number seven had no trouble dispatching Magda Linette 6-4 6-2 to give her side an unassailable lead in Astana. The best-of-five qualifiers featured two singles matches on Friday and two reverse singles plus a doubles rubber on Saturday. Rybakina’s compatriot Yulia Putintseva was scheduled to play in the fourth singles rubber which was not played but she teamed up with Anna Danilina in the doubles.Poland, without injured world number one Iga Swiatek, finally got on the board as Weronika Falkowska and Alicja Rosolska won 6-4 6-4 in what was essentially a dead rubber. In Coventry, Britain were no match for France as WTA Finals champion Caroline Garcia ended the home team’s challenge by beating Harriet Dart 6-1 6-7(10) 6-1 to give them a 3-0 lead. Ukraine were 2-0 down to the Czech Republic after Friday’s rubbers and Marta Kostyuk halved the deficit when she came from behind to beat former French Open champion Barbora Krejcikova 3-6 6-1 6-4.
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