Germany opened their Billie Jean King Cup Play-Offs campaign in Ismaning with a disappointing 2–1 defeat to Turkey on Friday. While Ella Seidel gave the hosts a promising start by winning the opening singles rubber, the momentum shifted as German No. 1 Eva Lys fell in three sets to her close friend Zeynep Sönmez.
Read more: Lys waves German flag for Billie Jean King Cup Play-Offs
With the tie level at 1–1, everything came down to the decisive doubles, but Jule Niemeier and Anna-Lena Friedsam were unable to clinch the final point, allowing Turkey to seal a surprise victory on German soil.
Lys struggles against Sönmez
Sönmez, 23, produced a composed and proactive performance, frequently attacking the net and breaking Lys’ serve eight times to secure a 6-2, 4-6, 6-0 win and a crucial point for Turkey.
Lys, who struggled to find her rhythm on the indoor hard court, was visibly disappointed afterward but gave full credit to her opponent. “I am really disappointed, but I fought until the end. Zeynep is a great player and was the more dominant player on court today. I couldn’t really find my game, although I won the second set. She was very powerful in the third set and deserved it. She was the better player today,” she said.
Lys added that the abrupt surface change played a role in her difficulties. “I spent the last two months in Asia playing on very slow surfaces. Over the past few days here I’ve felt very comfortable, but this is one of the fastest hard courts I’ve played on in recent months. Normally I like that, but today I couldn’t quite find my timing in the match. I had to search for my rhythm the entire time, and I never really managed to get into it.”
