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BJK Cup quarter-finals: Great Britain v Canada
Venue: Palacio de Deportes, Malaga Date: Sunday, 17 November Time: 16:00 GMT
Coverage: Watch unrecorded connected BBC Red Button, BBC iPlayer, BBC Sport website & app; travel unrecorded substance commentary connected the website and app; perceive to BBC Radio 5 Live for updates
You could perceive it being whispered successful the meal hallway of the Malaga edifice wherever travelling British fans were tucking into their Spanish tortilla.
"We could spell connected and triumph this, you know," 1 antheral cautiously confided to the table.
Great Britain person ne'er won the Billie Jean King Cup.
But the feeling is increasing that this year's lawsuit could beryllium arsenic bully a accidental arsenic any.
In the women's squad tourney branded arsenic the 'World Cup of Tennis', GB look defending champions Canada successful the quarter-finals - and anticipation is building.
"I said it earlier the contention started, I truly judge that we tin triumph this," said British skipper Anne Keothavong, whose squad is comprised of Katie Boulter, Emma Raducanu, Heather Watson, Olivia Nicholls and Harriet Dart.
"I don't person a occupation saying that retired loud."
Keothavong's squad reached the semi-finals connected location turf successful Glasgow successful 2022, but determination is simply a antithetic level of assurance moving done the campy now.
In Boulter and Raducanu, Britain person pedigree which ranks among the astir important successful the contention - peculiarly successful their fractional of the draw.
British fig 1 Boulter, who has moved into the world's apical 25 aft a play wherever she won 2 WTA titles, is the third-highest ranked singles subordinate near successful the competition. Former Grand Slam champion Raducanu besides ranks 3rd among the fig 2 players.
Neither volition look a higher-ranked subordinate against Canada, nor would they against imaginable semi-final opponents Australia and Slovakia.
"We've got prime players who person shown successful their ain close what they're susceptible of, whether it's this twelvemonth oregon successful erstwhile years," said Keothavong.
"For maine to beryllium capable to skipper the squad of unthinkable women, for Katie to pb the mode she does, and to person Emma backmost successful the squad playing large tennis, I consciousness similar I'm successful a precise fortunate position."
Keothavong, however, knows however pugnacious Sunday's best-of-three necktie promises to be.
Canada mightiness not beryllium peculiarly fearsome connected insubstantial but, arsenic they showed past year, are greater than the sum of their parts.
Leylah Fernandez, who Raducanu famously bushed successful the 2021 US Open final, flourishes successful this environment. The satellite fig 31 is aiming for a seventh consecutive BJK Cup triumph erstwhile she faces Boulter.
Teenager Marina Stakusic earned important victories connected her debut successful the contention past twelvemonth and is battling the resurgent Rebecca Marino for the spot successful the opener against Raducanu.
Then determination is Gabriela Dabrowski. The third-best doubles subordinate connected the WTA Tour has conscionable won the season-ending finals and volition forge a formidable concern with Fernandez if required.
Getting the occupation done successful the singles feels cardinal for Britain.
Both Raducanu, playing her archetypal lucifer since mid-September due to the fact that of a ft injury, and Boulter confidently won their matches against Germany connected Friday to unafraid GB's quarter-final place.
Raducanu putting a constituent connected the committee laid the level for Boulter and allowed her to play "more freely" and guarantee determination was nary request for a doubles decider.
"I person been successful that presumption galore times erstwhile I was playing with Johanna Konta," said Boulter.
"I ever wanted to get that archetypal rubber to effort to instrumentality unit disconnected the fig 1 player."
If Britain bash get done the adjacent 2 ties, the spectre of Poland oregon Italy - 1 of whom astir radical expect to triumph - looms large.
Poland person the tournament's astir potent limb successful satellite fig 2 Iga Swiatek and different top-50 subordinate successful Magda Linette providing capable assistance.
Italy person satellite fig 4 Jasmine Paolini supported by 54th-ranked Elisabetta Cocciaretto.
Swiatek and Paolini besides contributed to the doubles victories which pushed their nations into the semi-finals connected Saturday.
"Our singles players are much than susceptible of stepping successful and imposing themselves. They precise overmuch cognize what their crippled and individuality is," said Keothavong.
"Like anything, it's astir executing it nether pressure.
"I cognize I've got a squad who thrive nether unit and successful this competition, and they person shown it before. Hopefully they tin amusement it again."
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