'A small country, but we have a big heart’: Slovakia has high hopes
13/11/2024 15:01
As Slovakia gears up to face USA in their opening tie in Malaga, Viktoria Hruncakova and team are ready for the challenge
By Matt Roberts
Thursday’s clash between Slovakia and the United States of America at the Billie Jean King Cup by Gainbridge Finals is a kind of David vs. Goliath situation. The smallest nation in the competition against the biggest. The one-time winners against the 18-time champions.
But Slovakia’s long-standing captain, Matej Liptak, feels they can use their underdog status at these Finals to their advantage: “We have no expectations. We just go for a big challenge. For us, it’s a really big honour and there is a special feeling that we are here. I hope that we can make a surprise.”
It’s a spirit that runs through the squad, with Viktoria Hruncakova saying: “We are all very good friends. We are a small country, but we have a big heart. We can go out there and do our best and for sure we will."
Hruncakova has been doing her best for Slovakia for a decade now. Along with Tereza Mihalikova, she was part of the Slovakia team that finished as runners-up to USA at the 2014 Junior Billie Jean King Cup Finals. And she’s graduated to become a reliable team member when called upon, quietly compiling an impressive 12-3 singles record in the competition since her debut in 2018.
It’s stats like that which make you realise that this Slovakia side are not to be underestimated. Bidding to reach the quarter-finals for the first time since 2013, they qualified for these Finals with a 4-0 defeat of Slovenia in Bratislava in April. Since then, their team has become even stronger thanks to the reemergence of Rebecca Sramkova.
The now 28-year-old first played for Slovakia at the Billie Jean King Cup back in 2017 when she recorded two shock wins on her debut, beating Sara Errani and Francesa Schiavone of Italy in a World Group II tie.
She climbed as high as world No 111 at the age of 20, but the next years of her career were blighted by injury. First it was a back issue, then she had problems with her shoulder, then her abs, and eventually she had surgery on a stress fracture in her leg in 2022.
But Sramkova’s story is one of overcoming obstacles - she was born with a condition that means she has very limited sight in her left eye - and her rise in 2024 has been remarkable. Since the US Open, Sramkova has been one of the most in-form players on the WTA Tour, winning 17 of her last 21 matches.
She had never reached a tour-level final before. She’s now reached three of them, including a maiden title in Hua Hin. She is undoubtedly playing the best tennis of her career, she sits at a career-high ranking of No 43, and her return to the fold is a big boost for Slovakia.
Srmakova will be supported by the experienced Anna Karolina Schmiedlova who has already had a great season representing her country by making a surprise run to the bronze medal match at the Olympic Games in Paris before falling short against Iga Swiatek, as well as 17-year-old Renata Jamrichova.
