The Billie Jean King Cup Finals in Shenzhen have been brought forward from November to September, organisers announced on Thursday. The event had already been reduced from 12 teams to eight, aligning with the men’s Davis Cup Finals. Qualifiers for the finals started on Thursday, with teams fighting for six tickets to China to join the hosts and defending champions Italy. “This rescheduling from November to September aligns the event with the start of the WTA tournaments in Asia, supporting player calendar flow,” organisers said in a statement. The finals will get under way on September 16, with the final to be played on September 21. Italy won their fifth title in the women’s team event last year by defeating Slovakia in the final in Malaga.