GLASGOW (Scotland) : Switzerland lifted the Billie Jean King Cup title in Glasgow, with Belinda Bencic and Jil Teichmann notching singles wins against Australia to grab the women's championship for the first time.
In a rematch of last year's semifinals, Jil Teichmann and reigning Olympic champion Belinda Bencic combined for singles wins to give the Swiss an unassailable 2-0 lead against Australia on Sunday.
In the opening match, Teichmann outlasted this week's breakthrough player Storm Sanders 6-3, 4-6, 6-3. Bencic then followed with a swift 6-2, 6-1 win over Ajla Tomljanovic to clinch the trophy.
"We were finalists last year and we were so heartbroken," Bencic said on the court after wrapping up the week.
"But in the locker room (Teichmann) came to me and said 'Next year, we're going to do it, we're going to take it. And we did, I'm so proud."
Switzerland, the runner-up last year as well as in 1998, completed the dream week by going 9-1 in matches in Glasgow. Viktorija Golubic and Simona Waltert also contributed to the team effort in Scotland.
"It was a great battle," Teichmann said on court. "Storm was playing very good the whole week, I was expecting a big fight. So here I was, getting the fight, and I'm super happy I got the point."
Bencic followed it up with a commanding performance, taking 1 hour and 15 minutes to dispatch Tomljanovic in a showdown between the respective nations' top-ranked players. Bencic converted half of her 12 breakpoints.
Bencic broke for 5-2 after converting her fifth break point of a 10-minute game, then finished off the first set with a volley winner from her signature backhand wing.
In the second set, a forehand return winner gave Bencic an early break for 2-1, and last year's Olympic gold medallist never looked back as she finished off the week in Glasgow.