Ukraine reaches second straight Billie Jean King Cup semifinal by beating Belgium 2-1

Ukraine's Elina Svitolina and Lyudmyla Kichenok play against Belgium's Magali Kempen and Lara Saldenduring at the Billie Jean King Cup women double quarterfinals tennis match in Shenzhen, China's Guangdong province, Thursday, Sept. 24, 2026. (AP Photo/Andy Wong)

SHENZHEN, China — Ukraine recovered from an upset to beat Belgium 2-1 on Thursday and reach the Billie Jean King Cup semifinals for the second straight season.

Doubles pair Anhelina Kalinina and Lyudmyla Kichenok comfortably beat Magali Kempen and Lara Salden 6-3, 6-3.

Earlier, seventh-ranked Elina Svitolina was upset by Greet Minnen. Svitolina won the first set 7-6 (5) but Minnen, ranked 217th, came back 6-4, 6-4 in the final two sets to send the series to a deciding doubles match.

Kalinina had given Ukraine a 1-0 lead with a 6-7 (6), 6-1, 6-1 win over Jana Otzipka. The 474th-ranked Otzipka had 16 double faults.

Ukraine will play the winner of Thursday’s later fourth quarterfinal between two-time defending champion Italy and China in the semifinals, which is scheduled to be played Saturday. The final is scheduled for Sunday.

Ukraine lost to Italy in the last four last year, the only other time it has reached the semifinals.

Earlier in the week, Spain advanced to the semis with a 2-1 win over Kazakhstan. On Friday, the Spaniards will face Czech Republic, which beat Britain 2-0 in their quarterfinal.

That left the Czechs on course for a 12th title in the competition previously called Fed Cup. The United States, which did not qualify for the finals, won a record 18 titles.

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The Associated Press