Slovenke po prvem dnevu poravnane s Špankami. (Foto: Vid Ponikvar)
V prvem dvoboju sta se pomerili Tamara Zidanšek (128. WTA) in Kaitlin Quevedo (127. WTA). Prva igra je trajala kar 20 minut, igralki pa sta odigrali 26 točk. Prvi niz se je po 66 minutah končal z izidom 6 : 4 v korist Zidanškove. Sredi drugega niza je slovenska igralka začutila bolečino v mečni mišici, kar je tekmica začela izkoriščati in izenačila na 1 : 1 v nizih. Pred nadaljevanjem dvoboja si je Zidanškova vzela odmor, a se je vse končalo že v prvi točki tretjega niza. Zidanškova si je namreč zvila gleženj in v bolečinah obležala na rdečem pesku portoroškega teniškega stadiona. Jasno je bilo, da dvoboja ne bo mogla nadaljevati, zato je Španija povedla z 1 : 0. Zidanškova je nato na pregled, o resnosti poškodbe bo več znano v naslednjih dneh, jasno pa je, da jutri ne bo igrala.
V drugem dvoboju sta si nasproti stali Veronika Erjavec (99. WTA) in Leyre Romero Gormaz (175. WTA). To je bil njun tretji medsebojni obračun in še tretjič je zmagala Erjavčeva. Prvi niz je dobila s 6 : 4, v drugem pa je po zaostanku z 0 : 2 dobila pet zaporednih iger, niz pa se je končal s 6 : 3. Dvoboj je trajal uro in 50 minut. “Zelo sem vesela in olajšana, da se je dvoboj končal v mojo korist. Še posebej je bilo težko po poškodbi Tamare, ko je energija nekoliko padla in se je pojavila zaskrbljenost. Kljub temu sem se uspela zbrati, pri čemer mi je zelo pomagala ekipa. Na ekipnih tekmovanjih je stres večji, zato je izjemno pomembno, da imaš ekipo ob sebi – da te spodbuja, je glasna in odžene morebitne negativne misli. Zelo sem hvaležna za končni rezultat,” je povedala Erjavčeva.
Veronika Erjavec Sloveniji priborila pomembno točko. (Foto: Vid Ponikvar)
“Dan je bil zelo čustven in intenziven. Tamara je res dobro igrala in se neverjetno borila, potem pa se je poškodovala. Takrat me je res zabolelo srce, ker vem, da ne gre samo za to točko, ampak da to lahko pomeni tudi nekaj tedenski premor. To mi je bilo res težko, še posebej, ker je bila v dobri formi. Nato je bila prva misel, da je treba pripraviti Veroniko – da damo v tem dvoboju vse od sebe in se osredotočimo na naslednjo točko. To nam je res dobro uspelo. Vsa čast Veroniki za način, kako je odigrala, kako se je soočila s pritiskom in se z borbenostjo prebila do zmage, ” je po koncu obeh dvobojev rekla kapetanka Maša Zec Peškirič.
Kvalifikacije za zaključni turnir pokala Billie Jean King
SLOVENIJA – ŠPANIJA 1:1
Petek:
Tamara Zidanšek – Kaitlin Quevedo 6 : 4, 2 : 6, 0 : 0, b. b.
Veronika Erjavec – Leyre Romero 6 : 4, 6 : 3.
Sobota:
Kaja Juvan/Nika Radišić – Aliona Bolsova/Sara Sorribes Tormo
VeronikaErjavec – Kaitlin Quevedo
Kaja Juvan – Leyre Romero
Vstopnice za ogled tekem so na voljo preko povezave ali na Petrolovih poslovalnicah.
Ogled tekem bo možen tudi na televizijskem programu Šport klub. Fotografije uradnega žreba si lahko ogledate na spletni strani TS.
Score level between Slovenia and Spain after day one
After the first day of the Billie Jean King Cup qualifying final between Slovenia and Spain, the score is tied at 1–1. Spain claimed the opening point following an ankle injury to Tamara Zidanšek, after which Veronika Erjavec defeated Leyre Romero Gormaz in straight sets (2–0). Tomorrow’s schedule at the Portorož Tennis Centre will begin at 11:00, starting with the doubles match, followed by two singles matches.
In the opening match, Tamara Zidanšek (No. 128 WTA) faced Kaitlin Quevedo (No. 127 WTA). The first game alone lasted 20 minutes, with the players contesting 26 points. The opening set went to Zidanšek 6–4 after 66 minutes. Midway through the second set, the Slovenian began to feel pain in her calf muscle, which her opponent took advantage of to level the match at one set all. Before continuing, Zidanšek took a medical timeout, but the match ended in the very first point of the third set. She twisted her ankle and collapsed in pain on the red clay of the Portorož tennis stadium. It was clear she could not continue, giving Spain a 1–0 lead. Zidanšek was then taken for medical examination; more will be known about the severity of the injury in the coming days, but it is already clear she will not play tomorrow.
Tamara Zidansek (SLO) and Kaitlin Quevedo (ESP) during Day 1 at the 2026 Billie Jean King Cup by Gainbridge Qualifier between Slovenia and Spain at TC Portoroz, on April 10, 2026 in Portoroz / Portorose, Slovenia. Photo by Vid Ponikvar
The second match featured Veronika Erjavec (No. 99 WTA) against Leyre Romero Gormaz (No. 175 WTA). This was their third meeting, and Erjavec claimed her third win. She took the first set 6–4, and in the second, after trailing 0–2, won five consecutive games to close it out 6–3. The match lasted one hour and 50 minutes.
“I’m very happy and relieved that the match ended in my favor. It was especially tough after Tamara’s injury, when the energy dropped and concern set in. Nevertheless, I managed to stay focused, and the team helped me a lot. In team competitions, the pressure is higher, so it’s extremely important to have your team by your side—to support you, be loud, and push away any negative thoughts. I’m very grateful for the final result,” said Erjavec.
“It was a very emotional and intense day. Tamara was playing really well and fighting incredibly hard, and then she got injured. That really hurt to see, because it’s not just about this point—it could also mean a break of several weeks. That was very difficult for me, especially since she was in good form. Then the first thought was to prepare Veronika—to give everything in this match and focus on the next point. We managed to do that very well. Full credit to Veronika for the way she played, how she handled the pressure, and fought her way to victory,” said captain Maša Zec Peškirič after the matches.
Billie Jean King Cup Finals Qualifiers
SLOVENIA – SPAIN 1–1
Friday:
Tamara Zidanšek – Kaitlin Quevedo 6–4, 2–6, 0–0, ret.
Veronika Erjavec – Leyre Romero 6–4, 6–3
Saturday:
Kaja Juvan / Nika Radišić – Aliona Bolsova / Sara Sorribes Tormo
Veronika Erjavec – Kaitlin Quevedo
Kaja Juvan – Leyre Romero
Tickets are available via the link or at Petrol sales points.
Matches will also be broadcast on the Šport Klub television channel. Photos from the official draw are available on the Tennis Slovenia website.