Raducanu feeling fit as GB launch BJK Cup challenge

Little implicit a period ago, Emma Raducanu posted photographs connected Instagram successful which she was wearing a protective footwear connected her near foot.

Questions were people raised astir whether the ligament wounded would regularisation her retired of the Billie Jean King Cup Finals, which person got nether mode this week successful Malaga.

Given her past of carnal issues, and the defiant mode successful which she makes her ain decisions adjacent if they are viewed unfavourably from the outside, you would not person predicted with implicit certainty she would beryllium alongside her Great Britain team-mates.

Yet Raducanu is contiguous astatine the 12-nation women's squad lawsuit and talking optimistically astir her fitness.

The anticipation is the British fig 2 volition play successful Friday's first-round necktie against Germany, which takes spot astatine 17:00 section clip (16:00 GMT), adjacent if British skipper Anne Keothavong is clutching her cards adjacent to her chest.

"You'll find retired the line-up astatine 4pm tomorrow," said Keothavong.

If Raducanu is picked against Germany arsenic expected, she volition beryllium tasked with putting her squad up successful the three-match necktie earlier Katie Boulter plays successful the 2nd singles match.

It has been a winning formula. Raducanu and Boulter won 3 of their 4 singles matches arsenic GB bushed France successful April's qualifier.

Boulter, ranked 24th successful the world, is the nation's starring player, with Harriet Dart, Heather Watson and doubles specializer Olivia Nicholls completing the squad successful Spain.

Raducanu, though, has not played since 21 September erstwhile she retired from her Korea Open quarter-final against Daria Kasatkina, but connected Thursday she insisted she was ready.

"I'm successful a spot wherever I consciousness bully and assured to springiness it my each if I'm to beryllium connected the lucifer court," said Raducanu, who is "in discussions" astir bringing Naomi Osaka's erstwhile fittingness trainer Yutaka Nakamura into her team.

"I've been grooming successful the past 3 weeks connected it, decently gathering up and past week I was throwing myself astir the court. It's feeling good.

"I'm blessed to beryllium successful this presumption particularly due to the fact that it did instrumentality longer than we think. I consciousness truly fit."

Raducanu has played conscionable 33 matches this twelvemonth aft returning from the wrist and ankle surgeries which ruled her retired of astir of past season.

There person been moments of encouragement connected her ascent backmost into the world's apical 60, but plentifulness of patience has besides been required.

As she recovered from the ft problem, Raducanu utilized the clip distant from the lucifer tribunal to "detach".

She spent prime clip with her grandma who lives successful China, brushed up her skills connected the soft and work a stack of books.

The caput is rested. But volition the assemblage beryllium sharp?

"Sharpness is thing which comes with matches and though I haven't played successful a while, it volition beryllium bully to find out," said Raducanu, who lamented not playing capable matches earlier her achy US Open first-round exit successful August.

"On the signifier tribunal and signifier points, I consciousness crisp and beauteous good.

"I don't consciousness excessively acold down adjacent though the 2nd fractional of the play I person been a batch lighter connected tournaments."

From her comparative solitude, Raducanu has been thrust backmost into the energetic squad environment.

With Malaga astatine the centre of terrible flooding connected Wednesday, the British squad were incapable to permission their edifice arsenic dense rainfall deed the Andalusian city.

That time besides marked Raducanu's 22nd birthday. She woke up to balloons and banners extracurricular her door, earlier she was presented with a candlelit cocoa cake.

Forging a choky enslaved among the squad has been a cardinal maneuver for Keothavong arsenic Britain purpose to triumph the BJK Cup for the archetypal time, arsenic good arsenic being capable to take from her strongest disposable squad.

Boulter, 28, is afloat of assurance aft a palmy seven-week stint successful Asia, wherever she reached the Tokyo semi-finals earlier going a measurement further by finishing runner-up successful Hong Kong.

Dart, 28, has reached a career-high ranking of 59 precocious connected the spot of reaching the Wimbledon 3rd round, portion 32-year-old Watson remains a dependable presence.

Nicholls, 30, has enjoyed a emergence up the doubles rankings and provides an alternate if Keothavong decides not to support religion successful Dart and Watson arsenic her pairing.

"I've got my 5 champion players retired here," Keothavong said.

"I instrumentality assurance successful the information that I consciousness this squad is arsenic good prepared arsenic possible. They're excited to beryllium here. They truly privation to spell retired determination and play.

"I bash judge we are a squad that tin triumph this competition."