The Chinese team lost 1:2 to the Italian team and missed the semi-finals of the Billie Jean Gold Cup

China News Service, Shenzhen, September 25 (Reporter Zhang Lu) In the quarter-finals of the 2026 Billie Jean Gold Cup Shenzhen Finals (Grand Finals) that ended in the early morning of the 25th, the Chinese team lost 1:2 to the Italian team and missed the semi-finals.

The Billie Jean Gold Cup is one of the highest-level and most influential international women's tennis team events in the world of tennis every year. The participating teams in this finals include teams from China, Italy, the United Kingdom, Ukraine, Spain, the Czech Republic, Kazakhstan and Belgium. The Chinese team sent a strong lineup composed of Zheng Qinwen, Zhang Shuai, Wang Xiyu, Guo Hanyu, and Jiang Xinyu.

In this game, Chinese team player Zhang Shuai played first and faced off against Italian team player Cociareto. At the beginning of the game, Zhang Shuai was on full fire, winning the first set 6-0 with a keep and a break. In the second set, Zhang Shuai continued his hot form and won 6:2 with his steady kills and high-quality serves. In the end, Zhang Shuai defeated Cociareto with a big score of 2:0, scoring the first point for the Chinese team.

Zhang Shuai said after the game that after a long time, she returned to China to compete again. The audience gave her a lot of motivation and she cherished such moments.

In the second game, Chinese team player Zheng Qinwen competed fiercely with Italian team player Paolini. In the first set, Paolini quickly entered the state and led 4:1 at the beginning. Zheng Qinwen then stepped up his attack and chased the score to 3:4. In the final period, Paolini took control of the situation again and took the lead with 6:3. In the second set, the two men competed fiercely, and the battle was tied at 6:6. In the "tiebreak" battle, Paolini won 7:6(4). In the end, Paolini defeated Zheng Qinwen with a big score of 2:0, helping the Italian team level the total score at 1:1.

On September 24, the 2026 Billie Jean Gold Cup Shenzhen Finals entered the third match day. In the quarter-finals, the Chinese team faced the Italian team. The picture shows Chinese team player Zheng Qinwen in the women's singles competition. Photo by China News Service reporter Chen Jimin

In the third game, the Chinese team Jiang Xinjue/Guo Hanyu faced the Italian team Errani/Paolini. In the first set, the two teams worked hard on both offense and defense, and the game was tied at 3:3. At the critical moment, the Italian team launched a strong attack and won 6:3. In the second set, the Italian team led 4:2 at the beginning, but the Chinese team then fought hard to catch up and regained the set at 7:5. In the decisive set, the Italian team adjusted their status in time and won 6:3. In the end, the Italian team defeated the Chinese team with a big score of 2:1, helping the Italian team reverse and defeat the Chinese team with a total score of 2:1.

According to the schedule, the Czech team will play against Spain on September 25; the Ukrainian team will play against Italy on September 26. (over)