Jasmine Paolini put on a tennis masterclass to steer Italy to a fifth Billie Jean King Cup title as she beat Rebecca Sramkova 6-2 6-1 in the second singles rubber to wrap up a 2-0 win over Slovakia in the final on Wednesday.
A year after Italy suffered a heartbreaking defeat to Canada in the decider and over a decade since their last title in 2013, the charismatic Paolini demolished Sramkova before celebrating wildly with her teammates and jubilant Italian fans, including men’s world