Billie Jean King Cup 2023: Emma Raducanu missing for Great Britain qualifier against France

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Great Britain players Harriet Dart, Heather Watson and Katie Boulter, on with skipper Anne Keothavong, observe their BJK Cup triumph against Spain successful 2022

Dates: 14-15 April Venue: Coventry Building Society Arena, Coventry
Coverage: Watch unrecorded connected the BBC Sport website and BBC iPlayer, positive regular unrecorded substance commentaries and reports connected the website and app

Great Britain tin beryllium palmy without Emma Raducanu erstwhile they play France this week for a spot successful the Billie Jean King Cup, says Katie Boulter.

British fig 1 Raducanu, 20, is unavailable for the best-of-five qualifier successful Coventry.

Captain Anne Keothavong has named the aforesaid squad that reached the semi-finals past twelvemonth successful Glasgow.

"Of people we're going to miss Emma. But we're excited to person the aforesaid squad arsenic Glasgow," Boulter told BBC Sport.

"There was an unthinkable ambiance among the squad and with the enactment we were given, and we're each moving hard to effort and origin a small upset against France."

The winners of the tie, which volition beryllium played connected Friday and Saturday and consists of 4 singles and 1 doubles rubber, qualifies for November's 12-team Billie Jean King Cup.

Who is playing for GB?

British fig 1 Raducanu, who won the 2021 US Open arsenic a teenage qualifier, decided to skip the women's squad lawsuit connected the hard tribunal successful Coventry to play successful a WTA Tour lawsuit connected clay successful Stuttgart adjacent week.

With the satellite fig 68 again missing, Keothavong has stuck with the players who reached the past 4 against the likelihood past November.

British fig 3 Harriet Dart leads the singles players arsenic the highest ranked subordinate astatine 138th, with enactment from experienced brace Heather Watson and Boulter, who are some extracurricular the world's apical 150.

Doubles specialists Alicia Barnett and Olivia Nicholls, who won some their matches connected an awesome debut for their federation successful Glasgow, are again picked.

Jodie Burrage, who is ranked arsenic Britain's apical women's subordinate down Raducanu, missed retired connected selection.

"Each and each 1 of america is precise unsocial and proved ourselves successful galore antithetic ways implicit the years," Boulter said.

"We person each shown we tin play immoderate precise bully tennis - Emma included, of people - but it is different accidental for each of america to spell retired determination and amusement what we tin do."

Great Britain's Heather Watson smiles during signifier earlier the Billie Jean King Cup necktie against France

How squad tone is key

Britain overcame the likelihood past twelvemonth to advancement from a pugnacious radical featuring Spain and Kazakhstan.

The players and Keothavong were flooded with emotion aft a stunning whitewash of much-fancied Spain, earlier they were beaten by Australia successful the past four.

"We're truly fortunate due to the fact that we've got a large radical of girls who are unneurotic and we emotion the squad spirit," Boulter said.

"We person a batch of things going connected to support america bonded. We truly attraction astir each other.

"It makes a immense quality having that down america and knowing the squad volition basal down you and not beryllium connected your own. It's thing special."

At this signifier past year, Britain mislaid their qualifying necktie successful the Czech Republic but secured a spot successful the main gully by being named arsenic hosts.

Tournament organisers person yet to determine connected this year's venue.

Eighteen teams volition vie successful 9 qualifiers this play for a guaranteed place, with 2022 champions Switzerland, runners-up Australia and 1 wildcard prime to articulation them.

Who is playing for France?

France person a stronger squad than Britain successful presumption of rankings and pedigree, arsenic good arsenic the standout singles subordinate successful the signifier of satellite fig 5 Caroline Garcia.

Garcia, who is besides ranked wrong the apical 30 doubles players, is joined by satellite fig 70 Alize Cornet and satellite fig 111 Clara Burel.

Cornet reached the quarter-finals of the Australian Open past twelvemonth and played a cardinal relation successful France winning the 2019 Billie Jean King Cup, portion Burel bushed Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina successful the US Open archetypal circular past year.

All 3 are ranked higher than the British singles players.

Experienced doubles subordinate Kristina Mladenovic - a nine-time large champion and the standout prima of France's triumph 4 years agone - has besides been selected by skipper Julien Benneteau.

"They are a precise beardown squad and Garcia is simply a large weapon," Boulter said.

"Ultimately, you ne'er cognize who is going to play and we person to beryllium prepared - which we volition be."