Armenia’s women’s national tennis team capped a flawless, unbeaten campaign at the Billie Jean King Cup, defeating Estonia 2-0 in the promotion play-off in San Marino to move up from Group III to Group II for the first time since 2009, reports Armenia’s Tennis Federation.
The Billie Jean King Cup is the premier international team competition in women’s tennis, structured as a tiered system that runs from a global Finals at the top down through regional divisions. Now in its 63rd edition, the competition runs throughout the season and culminates in the Finals this September in Shenzhen, China. Armenia had been competing in Group III, one of the lower tiers, and the win over Estonia lifts the team up a level.
The Armenian women’s team is moving up after winning all 11 of the individual matches it played across the tournament, sweeping through the group stage and the promotion play-off without dropping one.
To reach the play-off, Armenia first had to win Group III outright. The team opened with a commanding 3-0 victory over Azerbaijan, followed with another 3-0 result against Albania, and closed out top spot with a 3-0 win over an unbeaten Montenegro side in the final round.
The Montenegro decider was the team’s toughest test. Ani Amiraghyan won her singles match 6-2, 4-6, 6-4, and Elina Avanesyan followed with a 4-6, 6-4, 6-0 victory. Maria Azizyan and Alina Soghomonyan then sealed the sweep in the doubles, winning 2-1 (6-3, 3-6, 10-8).
The promotion play-off against Estonia was settled in the singles. Amiraghyan earned the first point in a hard-fought 7-6, 4-6, 6-0 win, before Avanesyan closed out the tie with a composed 6-2, 6-0 performance. With Armenia ahead 2-0, the doubles was no longer needed.
“One team. One goal. One step forward. We fought together, supported each other, and achieved our goal, earning promotion from Group III to Group II. Proud to share this moment with my teammates and our coach. Thank you, Armenia, for your support,” said Maria Azizyan on social media.
The campaign also marked Elina Avanesyan’s Billie Jean King Cup debut for Armenia. The world number 215 anchored a squad that also featured Amiraghyan, Azizyan, and Soghomonyan, one of Armenia’s strongest lineups in years. Next season, the team competes in Group II for the first time in 17 years.
