Game, set and match, Shenzhen!

Despite the home squad's disappointing early exit, the southern Chinese metropolis still emerged a winner, with its successful hosting of another Billie Jean King Cup Finals cementing its status as a tennis hotbed.

With the confetti swept away and the arena falling silent, the reverberation of the women's tennis "World Cup" continues to galvanize the sport's growing profile in Shenzhen, after the BJK Cup Finals wrapped up a second straight edition in the seaside city in Guangdong province, with the Czech Republic hoisting the team trophy on Sunday.

Led by reigning Wimbledon champion Linda Noskova and two-time major finalist Karolina Muchova, a strong Czech squad justified its title-favorite billing by beating Ukraine 2-0, with two straight-sets singles wins, in an electrifying finale of the annual women's team championship at the Shenzhen Bay Sports Center Arena.

Carrying on this year's scintillating form, Noskova edged out Ukrainian veteran Elina Svitolina 6-3, 7-6 (5) to seal the win for her country, following her star teammate Muchova's 6-2, 6-3 rout of Anhelina Kalinina in the opening singles rubber.

With an invincible run in Shenzhen, where it never conceded a rubber in three rounds, the Czech squad, captained by Barbora Strycova, has won a record-extending 12th title at the team championship, formerly known as the Federation Cup.

It was the Czech Republic's first crown since 2018, two years before the tournament was renamed for the legendary women's tennis pioneer King, to honor her contribution to both tennis and gender equality in sports.

Warmly embraced by fans in Shenzhen since their arrival, the Czech team's players attributed part of their success to the support and energy from the local tennis community.

"The people here are so kind. They always bring me some gifts," said world No 8 Muchova, who made her BJK Cup Finals debut in Shenzhen.

"The other day, one girl gave me a list of coffee shops and restaurants that I should visit, which was very helpful for me. I really appreciated that. I enjoyed it.

"People here are so passionate. They really love the sport. I always love coming back to China ... To win is like the cherry on top. I'm just so grateful it happened here."

Held for a second straight year in Shenzhen, the 2026 tournament, which scheduled its semi and final rounds during the three-day Mid-Autumn Festival, has recorded a 56-percent rise in ticket sales from last year, with strong turnouts during the holiday at the 13,000-seat arena impressing players and officials alike.

"We are super excited to be back in Shenzhen, and the people here, obviously, have shown a great passion for tennis," said tournament director Conchita Martinez, a Spanish former world No 2.

"It's always very important for the junior players to have such an unbelievable tournament where they can be close to their favorite players, learn from it and know that they can do it too," said the 1994 Wimbledon singles champion.

Had the host team lasted longer, the Shenzhen crowd would've gone a lot crazier.

With its star ace Zheng Qinwen struggling to recover in time after an arduous US Open run, Team China was left to rue its missed chances after squandering an early lead and eventually losing its quarterfinal tie with Italy on Thursday.

Despite a flying start, powered by veteran Zhang Shuai's opening singles victory over Elisabetta Cocciaretto, Team China's ambitions of winning a first BJK Cup Finals crown on home soil took a heavy blow after Zheng lost the following singles match to Italian talisman Jasmine Paolini, before the host duo followed suit in the deciding doubles rubber.

Zheng, who's already hit the ground running in Beijing this week preparing for the upcoming WTA 1000 China Open, said she always takes pride in representing her country even if she's not physically at 100 percent.

"The wear and tear of the US Open drained a lot of my energy ... If this were a regular WTA Tour event, I would not have competed. But this is for my country, so I decided to play anyway," Zheng, a former world No 4 who's currently ranked 52nd, said after losing 6-3, 7-6 (4) to Paolini in their fifth career meeting.

The reigning Olympic champion's recent resurgent form, highlighted by a quarterfinal campaign at the US Open, has raised fans' expectations for a strong performance in Beijing in the next fortnight.

Back in Shenzhen, though, with her prestigious tournament due to remain a fixture in the city through 2027, King, who watched every tie in the stands and took part in tennis promotion activities in high spirits throughout the week, said the Chinese people's passion for tennis is here to stay, with or without her eponymous event.

"It shows the progress you're in the process of building right now," said the 82-year-old legend, who won 39 Grand Slam titles, including 12 in singles, and co-founded the WTA Tour.

"What happens is that you touch the minds and hearts of people when you bring them together to tournaments like this. So, when we leave, hopefully, it helps the sport grow."

Ilana Kloss, chair of BJK Cup Ltd, and long-time life partner of King, echoed the sentiment, hailing the Chinese organizers' effort in consistently bringing in world-class tournaments as a wise investment for the future.

"It's fantastic for us to be the first stop of the 'Asian Swing'," she said.

Borrowing King's well-known quote, "if you can see it, you can be it," Kloss added: "I think having live professional tennis, especially women's tennis, here in the region is crucial for many young players who are watching to have the dream.

"If I could have a dream for China, it would be for them to win the Billie Jean King Cup in China," said the South African former world No 1 doubles star.

"That would be an amazing legacy and a beautiful stepping stone for the future."