MALAGA, Spain — Italian tennis star Jasmine Paolini played a pivotal role in her country’s success by securing victories in both singles and doubles matches to propel Italy into the semifinals of the Billie Jean King Cup on Saturday.

Paolini, currently ranked fourth, showcased her skills by defeating Japan’s Moyuka Uchijima with a score of 6-3, 6-4, which evened the match at 1-1. Following her singles match, she quickly returned to the court alongside teammate Sara Errani. Together, they triumphed over the Japanese duo of Shuko Aoyama and Eri Hozumi in straight sets, finishing at 6-3, 6-4, thus securing Italy’s advancement in the tournament.

Earlier in the day, Japan had taken the lead in the matchup when Ena Shibahara managed to overcome Elisabetta Cocciaretto in a hard-fought contest that ended with the scores of 3-6, 6-4, 6-4.

Having faced defeat in the finals against Canada in the previous year, Italy is now poised to compete against the winner of the quarterfinal clash between Poland and the Czech Republic in the upcoming semifinals.