Kaitlin Quevedo gives Spain the first point after Zidansek’s injury

The Spanish Billie Jean King Cup team, captained by Carla Suárez, has been awarded this Friday the first point of the qualifying tie against Slovenia for the Shenzhen Finals, which is being held in Portoroz (Slovenia), after Kaitlin Quevedo took the victory in her match against Tamara Zidansek, who had to retire due to an ankle injury (4-6, 6-2 and retirement).

The Canarian, 20 years old and born in Florida (United States), was able to recover from an adverse first set by taking the second set, but in the first point of the third the fight ended abruptly after the Slovenian tennis player sprained her left ankle and could not continue.

Now, the Valencian Leyre Romero, in the second and last duel on Friday, will try to make it 2-0 against Veronika Erjavec, the only player in the tie within the ‘Top 100’ of the WTA ranking (99).

Quevedo, number 127 in the world, started the match by saving up to seven break balls in the opening game, before signing his first break (0-2). Zidansek responded by winning the next three games, and although the Spaniard cut the rest of the streak, the Slovenian broke again to later end the set.

A break seemed to weigh down the Canarian at the beginning of the second set, but a counterbreak gave her the initiative in a set that she closed by winning the last four games, closing it on her second opportunity. It was just at the beginning of the third quarter when Zidansek was injured and everything was over before the count.

The Spanish team, which has the absences of Cristina Bucsa, Jessica Bouzas and Paula Badosa, is completed by Guiomar Maristany, Sara Sorribes and Aliona Bolsova, the latter two foreseeable components of Saturday’s doubles.