Preview: Switzerland v Poland

Eight Billie Jean King Cup by Gainbridge Qualifiers take place from 12-13 April. The winners will seal a place at November's season-ending Finals in Seville alongside defending champions Canada, 2023 runners-up Italy, hosts Spain and wild card recipients Czechia. Here is a preview of the Switzerland v Poland tie

By Kevin Palmer

The Swiss Tennis Arena in Biel will host an all-European tie that will see world No. 1 Iga Swiatek take her place in a strong Polish team as they take on 2022 Billie Jean King Cup by Gainbridge champions Switzerland.

This tie will be played on an indoor hard court and will be Switzerland's first home tie since 2020, when they beat Canada. 

Switzerland are at No. 3 in the Billie Jean King Cup Rankings, with Poland at No.17.

TEAMS NAMED

Switzerland: Viktorija Golubic, Celine Naef, Simona Waltert, Jil Teichmann 

Poland: Iga Swiatek, Magdalena Frech, Magda Linette, Katarzyna Kawa, Maja Chwalinska

HEAD TO HEAD

This will be the third meeting between the two nations, with a win for each in the record books.

The first clash came in 1974, as Poland sealed a comfortable 3-0 win in a tie staged in Naples, Italy.

The two nations then played out a thrilling tie in 2015. The tie, played in Zielona Gora, was decided by a crucial doubles match that was won by Swiss duo Timea Bacsinszky and Viktorija Golubic. Former world No. 1 Martina Hingis played for the home team in a tense showdown.

STORY OF 2023

After their title winning campaign in 2022, captain Heinz Guenthardt had high hopes as the Swiss aimed to defend their title at the Finals in Seville, but they came up short in a competitive Group B that featured Czechia and USA.

Meanwhile, a Poland team missing the inspirational Iga Swiatek failed to make it through to the Finals, as they lost out to a strong Kazakhstan team led by Elena Rybakina in last year's Qualifiers. 

Poland were then given a wild card into the Billie Jean King Cup Finals in Seville, but failed to win a match in Group B, with Swiatek again unavailable.  

MEET THE CAPTAINS

Switzerland captain Heinz Guenthardt was a quarter-finalist at Wimbledon and the US Open in 1985, while he also won Roland Garros and Wimbledon doubles titles in a career that saw him claim victory 36 times for Switzerland in Davis Cup.

He led Switzerland to victory in Billie Jean King Cup in 2022 and while he was disappointed by his team's exit in the group stages of last year's Finals, ambitions have been reset for 2024.

"When we originally said that we are competing to win the title, some people felt that may be a little bit too ambitious because Switzerland has never won it," said Guenthardt.

"We proved to ourselves and everyone it was not too ambitious. That's the only goal that you can possibly have when you compete in the tournament is to win it. Otherwise you basically shut the door before you start."

Dawid Celt took over as Poland's Billie Jean King Cup captain in 2018 and guided his nation to the Finals in Glasgow in 2022.

He enjoyed some success on what was then known as the ITF Futures circuit - now the ITF World Tennis Tour - but he was forced to call time on his career prematurely and started a journey in coaching that included a spell working with Polish No. 1 Agnieszka Radwanska, who is now his wife.

TALKING POINT

All eyes will be on Swiatek as she returns to play for Poland in Billie Jean King Cup for the first time since winning both of her matches comfortably in the 2022 Qualifiers.

The 22-year-old boasts a record of nine wins from her 12 matches in the Billie Jean King Cup across singles and doubles, with her presence in this team giving Poland a huge boost.

Swiatek finished 2023 as the dominant player in the women's game, clinching victory at the WTA Finals in impressive fashion and she backed that up by winning the WTA 1000 tournament in Indian Wells last month.

Her record in this competition is impressive as she has won seven of her nine singles matches and has not been beaten in Billie Jean King Cup since February 2019.