2023 Billie Jean King Cup Finals: U.S. beats Swiss, winner-take-all vs. Czech Republic

Rinaldi, meanwhile, praised Kenin's individual fighting qualities. 

"It was just incredible tennis from both players. Credit to Golubic. Just really fun to watch, but even more fun to have won that," she said with a smile. "Sonya ... I think she's just a true fighter."

Sloane Stephens and Taylor Townsend put a bow on a U.S. sweep with a 6-1, 7-6(3) win over Jil Teichmann and Simona Walert in the doubles match.

Circled on the calendar since the draw was made, Friday's tilt will see the two most decorated teams in competition history square off: The U.S. boasts a record 18 titles; the Czechs, 11 (six as an independent nation). Twelve months ago at this competition, the U.S. and Czechs met in similar fashion, with the winner of their round-robin tie assured of reaching the semifinals, and the Czechs took a 2-1 victory on the strength of wins for Katerina Siniakova (over Collins) and Marketa Vondrousova (over Coco Gauff). 

Vondrousova, now a Wimbledon champion, and Siniakova are both on the Czech team again, as is Top 10 player and 2021 Roland Garros champion Barbora Krejcikova. And the decorated squad is rounded out by Marie Bouzkova and Linda Noskova, both Top 50 players who did the heavy lifting in the Czechs' own 3-0 win over Switzerland. 

While Rinaldi acknowledged the U.S. is an underdog on paper, the key to reaching the next stage of the Finals might lie in the intangibles.

"I believe in my team. I believe in each and every one of them," she said. "Obviously they've got a lot of experience, either a Grand Slam winner [Kenin, Stephens] or a Grand Slam finalist [Collins, Townsend in doubles]. Then Peyton [Stearns] also is just having such a great year and coming in with a lot of confidence.

"Obviously Czech on paper is favored, but you know what? We're going to go out there and fight just like we did today. I've got a group of fighters. I feel pretty good. Hopefully we get some rest and come out swinging again."