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Australia beat Colombia to end BJK Cup bid on winning note / Photo: © AFP
Australia beat Colombia to end BJK Cup bid on winning note
Australia swept past Colombia to end their bid to make the Billie Jean King finals on a winning note Saturday, but it was in vain with Kazakhstan already qualified from their group.
Teenager Maya Joint crushed Yuliana Monroy 6-1, 6-0 in Brisbane before Kim Birrell sealed the tie with a 6-1, 6-3 victory over Yuliana Lizarazo.
The Elena Rybakina-led Kazakhstan had already beaten Australia and Colombia to make the eight-team finals in Shenzhen in September alongside hosts China and defending champions Italy.
While Australia and Colombia were consigned to the play-offs in November to determine who will be in the 2026 qualifiers, Saturday's clash had ramifications.
The winner received extra ranking points, which will impact seeding order in the play-offs.
The current BJK Cup qualifiers feature six groups of three nations as the finals transition from a 12-team tournament to an eight-team set-up.
Britain face the Netherlands later Saturday with the winner advancing to the finals, while Ukraine are looking to tame Switzerland and ensure their qualification.
Canada, Spain and Slovakia all won their opening ties against Japan, Brazil and Denmark respectively, with those groups still wide open.
A.Smith--SFF
