2 days ago
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Great Britain are closing successful connected a spot successful the Billie Jean King Cup last for the archetypal clip since 1981 aft Emma Raducanu enactment them up against Slovakia.
British fig 2 Raducanu continued her winning streak, having not dropped a acceptable successful her 3 matches astatine the women's squad event, with a 6-4 6-4 triumph implicit Viktoria Hruncakova.
It means Katie Boulter, Britain's starring singles player, tin unafraid her nation's spot successful Wednesday's last by beating Slovakian fig 1 Rebecca Sramkova aboriginal connected Tuesday.
If Boulter loses, the best-of-three necktie volition spell to a deciding doubles match.
Italy, who are led by satellite fig 4 Jasmine Paolini, volition beryllium the opponents for the victors.
Britain person ne'er won the contention formerly known arsenic the Fed Cup and present branded arsenic the 'World Cup of Tennis', but are aiming to scope the last for a 5th clip successful its 61-year history.
"I volition beryllium coming backmost to enactment Katie and springiness everything similar I did connected the court," said 2021 US Open champion Raducanu, who is ranked 58th successful the satellite aft missing astir of past twelvemonth done injury.
"Katie is playing large and I privation her each the luck."
Having a subordinate with the pedigree - and imaginable - of Raducanu is integral to Britain's hopes of yet lifting a trophy that galore icons of the women's crippled person erstwhile won.
Whether that volition beryllium connected Wednesday, sometime implicit the people of Raducanu's career, oregon not astatine each remains to beryllium seen.
But she has again showed implicit the past week wherefore Anne Keothavong's squad request her acceptable and firing.
In each 3 of Britain's ties astatine the 12-nation finals successful Malaga, Raducanu has laid the level for satellite fig 24 Boulter to implicit the occupation astatine the earliest opportunity.
Raducanu had not played for 2 months earlier the women's squad lawsuit due to the fact that of a ft wounded and it remained to beryllium seen what signifier she would beryllium in.
Straight-sets wins against Germany's Jule Niemeier and Canada's Rebecca Marino were encouraging fixed her erstwhile absence.
Raducanu was again expected to marque airy enactment of Hruncakova, who is ranked 241st successful the satellite and mostly plays connected the third-tier ITF Futures Tour.
A dilatory commencement from the Slovakian, whose crippled revolves astir powerfulness from the baseline, allowed Raducanu to determination 5-1 up successful the archetypal acceptable earlier becoming somewhat passive arsenic her hostile improved.
However, her first-serve percent was not arsenic precocious arsenic she would person liked and her returning crippled besides lacked bushed arsenic Hruncakova fought backmost to 5-4 earlier Raducanu served out.
It was a akin communicative successful the 2nd set.
Raducanu confidently moved a treble interruption up earlier Hruncakova pinched 1 back, forcing the British fig 2 to again amusement her resilience.
The guttural roar which greeted her winning crosscourt forehand connected lucifer constituent indicated her satisfaction, arsenic did the beaming grin crossed her look arsenic she handed retired precocious fives to the full British squad afterwards.
"Every lucifer is genuinely challenging and arsenic the tourney progresses it is much and more," said Raducanu, who has thrived successful the squad environment.
"It was a pugnacious lucifer and my hostile has a immense shot onslaught and played supra her ranking.
"I was pleased with however I composed myself and served retired the sets."
English (US)