--- title: "Svitolina Suffered a Sensational Loss to Minnen: Ukraine Failed to Clinch an Early Semi-Final Spot at the Billie Jean King Cup" description: "Elina Svitolina lost to Greet Minnen in the Billie Jean King Cup quarter-final, denying the Ukrainian team an early victory. The score in the tie against Belgium is 1:1, and the doubles match will decide the path forward." date: 2026-09-24T07:56:00.000Z lang: en url: https://xab.info/en/posts/svitolina-loses-to-minnen-billie-jean-king-cup tags: [tennis, billie-jean-king-cup, elina-svitolina, ukraine, wta] publisher: "XAB.info" --- # Svitolina Suffered a Sensational Loss to Minnen: Ukraine Failed to Clinch an Early Semi-Final Spot at the Billie Jean King Cup ![Elina Svitolina in the Ukraine team kit hitting a tennis racket during the Billie Jean King Cup match against Minnen](https://xab.info/media/2026/09/24/svitolina-ustupila-minnen-kubok-billi-dzhin-king/svitolina-ustupila-minnen-kubok-billi-dzhin-king-1.webp) ## 🎯 Key Points - Svitolina lost to Minnen (ranked 217th in the WTA) 6:7, 6:4, 6:4 in the Billie Jean King Cup quarter-final - Svitolina won the first set in a tiebreak but lost the next two - The score in the Ukraine–Belgium tie is 1:1 after Kalinina's victory - The fate of the semi-final spot will be decided in the doubles match featuring Kichenok and Kalinina - The Czech Republic became the tournament's first semi-finalist, defeating Great Britain Ukraine's top-ranked player Elina Svitolina failed to secure an early victory for the national team in the Billie Jean King Cup quarter-final clash against Belgium. The match turned out to be dramatic: the Ukrainian spent more than two hours on court, won the opening set, but ultimately lost to Belgian player Greet Minnen, who ranks 217th in the WTA world rankings. For both tennis players, this encounter marked their first meeting in their careers. ### Match progression: from Minnen's surge to the tiebreak The Belgian started the first set aggressively and quickly raced to a 3:0 lead, but Svitolina gradually closed the gap, leveled the score, and took the lead — 5:4. Minnen managed to push the set to a tiebreak, but in the decisive series the Ukrainian proved stronger, taking the set 7:6. Thus, the Ukrainian team had a real chance to wrap up the tie in their favor after just two singles matches. ### Second and third sets: the Belgian's comeback In the second set, Minnen again broke first and led 2:0. The rivals then traded games, but the Belgian held her advantage and closed out the set in her favor — 6:4. In the deciding set, the players traded blows for a long time: after the score reached 4:4, Minnen won two games in a row and sealed the set 6:4, and the match — 6:7, 6:4, 6:4 in her favor. ### The doubles match will decide the path forward After Svitolina's defeat, the score in the Ukraine–Belgium tie became level — 1:1, since Angelina Kalinina had earlier won her singles match. Due to the top seed's loss, the Ukrainian team was unable to close out the tie early. Now the fate of the spot in the next stage will be decided in the crucial doubles match, in which Lyudmyla Kichenok and Angelina Kalinina are expected to take to the court for the Ukrainian team. ### Contradictory data The provided sources contain a minor discrepancy in the assessment of the match's duration. The main account of the event states that Svitolina spent "more than two hours" on court, whereas the headline of one sports outlet describes the encounter as a "nearly three-hour match." Both versions agree on the main point — the high duration and intensity of the contest — however, the exact timing is not reported consistently across the materials. ### Tournament context In parallel, at the quarter-final stage of the Billie Jean King Cup, the Czech Republic became the first team to reach the semi-finals, defeating Great Britain. Thus, the fight for a place in the semi-finals in the Ukraine–Belgium pairing gains additional intensity against the backdrop of already determined opponents in the other half of the draw. ## 🔍 Fact-Check Verification - [Everything Will Be Decided in Doubles: Svitolina Suffered a Sensational Loss at the Billie Jean King Cup](https://sport.rbc.ua/ukr/tennis/use-virishitsya-pari-svitolina-sensatsiyno-1790236336.html) - Основной источник: счет матча 6:7, 6:4, 6:4, итог противостояния 1:1, парный матч Киченок/Калинина. - [Svitolina Failed to Clinch an Early Semi-Final Spot for Ukraine at the BJKC](https://korrespondent.net/sport/tenis/4914464-svytolyna-ne-smohla-dosrochno-vyvesty-ukraynu-v-polufynal-kbdk) - Подтверждает факт досрочного невыхода Украины в полуфинал и необходимость парного матча. - [Svitolina Guided the Ukrainian Team to the Billie Jean King Cup Quarter-Final – the Belgian's Comeback in ...](https://football24.ua/ru/sport/news/svitolina-vyvela-sbornuju-ukrainy-v-chetvertfinal-kubka-billi-dzhin-king-kambjek-belgijki-v-pochti-trehchasovom-matche-966582) - Подтверждает камбэк Миннен; заголовок характеризует матч как почти трехчасовой, что незначительно расходится с формулировкой «больше двух часов». - [Ukraine Took a Dramatic Lead in the Billie Jean King Cup Quarter-Final, Svitolina in Action – Live Broadcast](https://football24.ua/ru/sport/news/ukraina-uverenno-vyshla-v-14-finala-kubka-billi-dzhin-king-igraet-svitolina-onlajn-transljacija-966573) - Подтверждает камбэк Миннен; заголовок характеризует матч как почти трехчасовой, что незначительно расходится с формулировкой «больше двух часов». ## ❓ FAQ ### Q: Who was Svitolina's opponent in the Billie Jean King Cup quarter-final? **A:** Elina Svitolina's opponent was Belgian player Greet Minnen, who ranks 217th in the WTA world rankings. For both tennis players, this encounter marked their first meeting in their careers. ### Q: What was the final score of the Svitolina–Minnen match? **A:** The match ended in a victory for Minnen with a score of 6:7, 6:4, 6:4. Svitolina won the first set in a tiebreak but lost the next two. ### Q: What is the overall score in the Ukraine–Belgium tie? **A:** The score in the tie became level — 1:1, since Angelina Kalinina had earlier won her singles match. The fate of the spot will be decided in the doubles match. ### Q: Who will play in the doubles match for the Ukrainian team? **A:** Lyudmyla Kichenok and Angelina Kalinina are expected to take to the court for the Ukrainian team in the crucial doubles match. ### Q: Who became the first semi-finalist of the Billie Jean King Cup? **A:** The Czech Republic became the tournament's first semi-finalist, defeating Great Britain.