Billie Jean King Cup: Britain knocked out after Slovakia comeback

Nice Britain had been knocked out of the Bille Jean King Cup on the semifinal stage on Tuesday as Slovakia got here from behind to win the best-of-three contest 2-1 in Malaga, Spain.

Anne Keothavong’s group had been aiming to turn into the primary British group to win the match in its historical past, having completed as runners-up on 4 events (1967, 1971, 1972, 1981) and had began the competition strongly after Emma Raducanu‘s spectacular victory over Viktoria Hruncakova within the first match-up.

Katie Boulter then misplaced to Rebecca Sramkova earlier than Heather Watson and Olivia Nicholls fell to Hruncakova and Tereza Mihalikova within the deciding doubles match.

In Tuesday’s first recreation, Raducanu put collectively certainly one of her finest performances of the yr to beat Hruncakova in straight units.

The 22-year-old has already crushed Germany’s Jule Niemeier and Canada’s Rebecca Marino within the competitors and confirmed imperious kind to race right into a 5-1 lead within the opening set on Tuesday.

A wobble adopted, with a double fault on break level scuppering her first try to serve out the set, however the 2021 US Open winner recovered to say it 6-4 in entrance of a crowd dominated by Union Jacks.

The second set was a tighter affair from the outset, staying on serve till its fifth recreation the place Raducanu despatched down some brutal returns to grab the initiative.

A tense maintain adopted, however the Brit quickly pressed dwelling her benefit with one other break and ultimately claimed the competition 6-4, 6-4.

Boulter then took to the court docket and made a superb begin, breaking Sramkova’s serve within the very first recreation of the match.

The world No. 24 misplaced her personal first service recreation instantly afterwards however then settled, counting on an aggressive forehand to dominate the rallies and ultimately claiming the primary set 6-2.

Sramkova responded impressively, beginning the second set with a love maintain of serve earlier than breaking Boulter enroute to racing right into a 4-1 lead.

The Brit then bounced again herself to degree scores at 4-4 earlier than undoing her exhausting work with a collection of unforced errors that allowed Sramkova, the world No. 43, to take the match to a deciding set — the primary three-set affair the British group has performed since arriving in Spain.

The third noticed the gang turn into extra raucous, and the Slovak star appeared to make use of that vitality as she broke Boulter early to ascertain a cushty lead with a exceptional backhand winner.

Boulter as soon as once more reached deep into her reserves to wrestle again impetus and re-establish parity because the match remained on a knife’s edge till an premature double fault from Boulter gifted her opponent two match factors, with Sramkova making the most of the second to ship the tie to the doubles with a 6-2, 4-6, 4-6 win.

Watson and Nicholls had been then outclassed by Hruncakova and Mihalikova 6-2, 6-2 to make sure Nice Britain’s seek for a primary Billie Jean King Cup success will proceed for not less than one other yr.

Slovakia will face Italy within the ultimate after Jasmine Paolini and co. overcame Iga Swiatek’s Poland on Monday.