Great Britain face a tough task to reach the Billie Jean Cup semi-finals when they face Spain on Thursday. The British team must win all three of their matches the Spanish, which include two singles and a doubles match.
Earlier in the week Britain were beaten 2-1 by Kazakhstan which put a huge dent in their chances of advancing out of their group. However, Spain’s victory over the Kazaks on Wednesday gave them a glimmer of hope.
In their tie against Kazakhstan, Britain lost both their singles matches. Katie Boulter was beaten by Yulia Putintseva which meant Harriet Dart had to beat Wimbledon Champion Elena Rybakina to keep Britain in the tie. Dart was no match for Rybakina who won in straight sets 6-1 6-4. The result meant the tie was effectively over with only the doubles match left to play.
Dart was selected in the squad due to the absence of Britain’s top player Emma Raducanu. Raducanu pulled out of the event due to injury and will be hoping to improve on a frustrating season after she won the US Open last year.
In the final match, doubles specialists Olivia Nicholls & Alicia Barnett produced an impressive display to win their match 7-5 6-3. British captain Anne Keothavong handed their pair their BJK Cup debuts and it proved to be a smart decision.
The British team has only qualified for the Finals tournament due to the fact they were hosts. The event is being held in Glasgow and they will need the full support of the home crowd if they are to progress from their group.