With a victory over the team of Tajikistan - 3:0, the women's tennis team of Turkmenistan began its performance in the zonal tournament of the Billie Jean King Cup, which started today in Dushanbe.

In the 2nd group of the Asia and Oceania zone, in which our compatriots compete, 8 teams, divided into two groups, are fighting for a ticket to the first group. Seeded second in the draw, the national team of Turkmenistan got into group “B” along with the teams of Tajikistan, Mongolia and Pakistan. Group A was formed by: Uzbekistan, Sri Lanka, Guam, Brunei.

The top two teams in each group will advance to the playoffs, the winner of which will be eligible to play in the 1st group of the Asia and Oceania zone next year.

The team of Turkmenistan in the Billie Jean King Cup is represented by Anastasiya Azimbayeva, Meryem Muhammedova, Bahar Toymyradova, Aisha Bikbulatova and Rojan Karajayeva. The captain and head coach of the women's team is the master of sports of Turkmenistan, member of the national men's team of the country, coach of the international category ITF Yuriy Rogusskiy.

The delegation of Turkmenistan is headed by the judge of the national category, the coach of the international category ITF Andrey Dovmatov.

In the opening match, the team of Turkmenistan, which occupies 73rd place in the world ranking table, did not experience big problems against the hosts of the competition - the national team of Tajikistan, whose tennis players occupy 99th place in the world ranking and have been playing in the women's team tennis tournament since 1998. In the first meeting of the singles, which lasted 37 minutes, Meryem Muhammedova did not give a single game to Gulnozahon Yahyayeva - 6:0, 6:0. And in the second - the first racket of Turkmenistan Anastasiya Azimbayeva beat Anastasiya Tursunova in 1 hour and 37 minutes - 6:3, 7:6 (8:6).

Meryem Muhammedova and Anastasiya Azimbayeva are pupils of the captain of the men's team of Turkmenistan, the coach of the “Ashgabat” tennis club Mirali Hasanov.

In the third match of the doubles, Aisha Bekbulatova and Rojan Karajayeva were stronger than Malika Rahimova and Sumaya Tuhtayeva - 6:0, 6:1.

The next rival of the Turkmen tennis players will be the Mongolian team, which occupies the 93rd place in the world tennis rating, which won the Pakistani team 3:0 in the first round.

The Billie Jean King Cup is the largest international team event in women's tennis. The tournament is organized by the International Tennis Federation (ITF). In 1963-2020, the tournament was called the Fed Cup, in September 2020 it was renamed in honor of the American tennis player Billie Jean King. Turkmen tennis players have been participating in these competitions since 2004.

In the men's tournament, a similar competition is called the Davis Cup.