Raducanu puts GB one win from BJK Cup semi-finals

Emma Raducanu put the first point on the board for Great Britain in their pursuit of a Billie Jean King Cup semi-final place at the expense of defending champions Canada.

British number two Raducanu, playing for only the second time in almost two months following a foot injury, won 6-0 7-5 against Canada’s Rebecca Marino in Malaga.

The first set, with a huge gulf of quality between the 2021 US Open champion and 103rd-ranked Marino, required ruthlessness, but the second asked for patience and resilience.

Raducanu was forced to save seven break points before taking Marino’s serve in the 11th game.

“It was an incredibly difficult match because the dynamics were so different in each of the sets,” said Raducanu.

Raducanu’s victory means British number one Katie Boulter has the opportunity to seal her nation’s place in the last four of the women’s team event known as the ‘World Cup of Tennis’.

Boulter, ranked 24th in the world, faces Leylah Fernandez – who Raducanu beat to win her shock Grand Slam title – later on Sunday.

If Boulter wins, Anne Keothavong’s side will progress at the earliest opportunity in the three-match tie.

The prize at stake for Britain or Canada is a semi-final against Slovakia, who beat 2022 runners-up Australia, on Tuesday (11:00 GMT).

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While reigning champions Canada rank second in the world, there is no reason for Britain to have an inferiority complex.

Raducanu and Boulter have a higher ranking than their singles opponents, although the presence of Gaby Dabrowski – the doubles world number three and recent WTA Finals champion – means a deciding doubles is not where Britain would relish going.

Therefore, it felt imperative that Raducanu opened with a win and gave an opportunity to Boulter to seal the deal against 31st-ranked Fernandez.

Canada’s team selection was not clearcut and their captain Heidi El Tabakh decided to go with the experience of Marino over the potential of teenager Marina Stakusic.

Marino plays the bulk of her tennis on the second-tier WTA Challenger Tour but is fresh from lifting a 125k title in the United States.

The decision ultimately backfired.

Marino, struggling to land her formidable first serve, came under pressure straight away as a confident Raducanu dominated with her returning game.

That success was reinforced by comfortable holds with a newly tweaked serve which has added power.

After converting her third break point in the opening game, Raducanu went on to take two of the five more she created in a one-sided first set lasting just 28 minutes.

When Marino slumped into her chair before the second set, you wondered how much longer the match would last.

However, she deserves credit for rediscovering her game in the second set and valiantly dragging Raducanu into a battle.

Raducanu saved seven break points across the fourth and eighth games, finding first serves when she needed them in the most perilous moments, then striking clinically to secure another encouraging victory.

Britain came into the 12-nation event as the second lowest-ranked team and are looking to meet a Slovakian side rated above them as 10th in the world.

Slovakia reached the last four for the first time since being crowned champions in 2002 after 241st-ranked Viktoria Hruncakova won 7-5 6-7 6-3 against Kimberly Birrell and 43rd-ranked Rebecca Sramkova crushed Ajla Tomljanovic 6-1 6-2.