U.S. sweeps Belgium to advance to 2024 Billie Jean King Cup Finals

LAKE NONA, Fla. - Just call her Jessica Pegula, the clincher. For the third straight year, a win by the American has sent the U.S. Billie Jean King Cup team to the Billie Jean King Cup Finals.

Pegula defeated Hanne Vandewinkel in Saturday's first match at the USTA National Campus 6-2, 6-0 to give the U.S. an unassailable 3-0 lead against visiting Belgium and confirm that the Americans will be one of the 12 teams who'll play for the Billie Jean King Cup this November in Seville, Spain. The U.S. will be bidding for a record-extending 19th title in the competition.

The qualifying tie eventually ended 4-0 in favor of the home team, as Caroline Dolehide and Taylor Townsend put a bow on the weekend with a 6-3, 6-1 win over Marie Benoit and Kimberly Zimmermann.

After being pushed in a 4-6, 6-2, 6-3 win over 2022 Australian Open junior finalist Sofia Costoulas on Friday night, Pegula admitted she started the match "flat." On Saturday, with a 2-0 team lead at her back, she was anything but against another 19-year-old in Vandewinkel, the world No. 278. Pegula won the first four games of the match, lost just five points in the second set, and hit 18 of her 21 winners from her forehand in 51 minutes. It was a perfomance that Belgian captain Wim Fissette, the coach of four-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka throughout the year, dubbed "almost perfect."

"I love being in a clinch position," Pegula said afterwards. "I love being able to get that win. That can also be a lot of pressure. At the same time, I try to embrace it the most that I can."