Billie Jean King Cup: Katie Boulter and Emma Raducanu power GB to quarter-finals

Emma Raducanu said she “loves” the team environment as Great Britain cruised through to the quarter-finals of the Billie Jean King Cup.
Despite starting the tournament again answering questions about her fitness following five weeks away from court with a foot ligament injury, Raducanu claimed a straight-sets victory over Germany Jule Neiemeier, 6-4, 6-4.
Katie Boulter then secured Great Britain’s place in the next round and a meeting with Canada, when she eased to a 6-1, 6-2 victory over Laura Siegemund in just an hour and 10 minutes.
In Málaga, Raducanu’s performance echoed some aspects of the one she showed in Le Portel in April when Great Britain booked their place in the semi-finals and it is the team environment in which she has thrived. 
“I think it’s a great way to come back, even though there is some pressure, you know, to score a point for your team. 
“You know, you’re not just playing for yourself; you’re playing for everyone. I think as an individual athlete, it’s not like a tour event. So I think having your team members on the side cheering you on when you might be a little bit nervous, and having the ability to use on-court coaching and getting feedback is very helpful when you haven’t played for a long time.”
She added: “To be honest, I love the environment.”
Raducanu’s singles career in 2024 has been fractured at best and by her own admission she only managed to compete in “less than 15 events”. She did not take part in the French Open, instead focusing on Wimbledon preparation, chose not to compete at the Olympics, and suffered a first-round exit at the US Open, but still managed to lift her world ranking from No 301 on January 1, to No 58 ahead of the final event of the year.
Representing Great Britain, and in front of a crowd that she claimed felt like a home one, Raducanu said: “I’m very pleased to come out with that performance after a long layoff. I think it’s been around two months since my last match, and it’s never easy coming back from injury and the difference between practice and a match.”
That lack of match practice was more evident in the second set than in the first, although she did take time before going on the attack against Niemeier’s powerful serve. In the first set, Raducanu served seven aces, including four in a single game, but it was closing from a winning position that proved difficult. She could have sealed the tie at 5-2 with her first match point, but it was not until five match points later that victory was confirmed.
“It’s not the first time I have been serving for it, had match points, and then got broken and had to kind of fight my way back into the match, and it’s not going to be the last time that happens, either.
“I think I’m pretty good at regrouping, and in those clutch points, clutch moments, I think I do most of the time rise to the challenge. I actually enjoy those moments as much as it’s possible to.
“I’m proud with how I regrouped, because it’s not easy.”
Boulter’s victory, on the other hand, was comprehensive. Despite losing her opening service game at the start of the match, the British No 1 displayed the benefit of a lot of matches and an impressive season during which she broke into the world top 25 for the first time, and looked in complete control of her tennis. 
“Every single GB win is an honour,” she said. “I don’t take them for granted. They don’t come easily. To get another one under my name, it feels really good. I think I played some good stuff. That’s really encouraging and a great start to the tournament.” 
The match against Canada will see Boulter take on Leylah Fernandez, who Raducanu beat to win the US Open title in 2021, with the two pitted against each other as the highest-ranked singles players. Raducanu’s opponent is not yet confirmed, with Canada automatically through to the quarter-finals as the defending champions. 
Anne Keothevong hails two strong performances from her leading pair, who will be back on Sunday to take on Canada for a place in the semi-finals. The Team GB captain is hoping the ‘home’ crowd will be back too.
“I’m a very proud captain,” she said. “It was a fantastic performance from Emma and Katie tonight, it really was, the way they came out, for Emma having been off for a period of time, the way she dealt with everything, it was a good performance and then the way Katie started in this match to get the job done. I couldn’t be more proud of them.
“We’re ever so grateful for all the people who have travelled all the way from the UK to support this team and what we really need is for everyone come back again on Sunday and see us through, so please, please, come back!
After a blistering display Boulter gives thanks to the crowd in Malaga, who have been noisy all night.“Honestly, it feels like we’re in Great Britain right now,” she says. “Our fans are awesome, you always get behind us. In the good moments and the bad moments you’ve been with us on this journey, so thanks so much for coming here to Malaga. It means so much to all of us players.” 
Can Katie Boulter serve it out to give Team GB a place in the quarter-finals?She hits a spectacular crosscourt drive into the corner to go 30-15 up and then a poor shot from Siegemund is way too long, handing Boulter match point.
Boulter double-faults!At the second attempt she makes no mistake, forcing a weak return from her second serve to take control of the rally, as she has the whole match if the truth be told, to unleash a clean winner and put GB in the last eight.
The moment British No.1 Katie Boulter knew she’d booked Great Britain’s place in the quarter-finals of the Billie Jean King Cup.#BJKCup #BBCTennis pic.twitter.com/3A1OpHq0IH
Well played. Boulter’s movement was quite brilliant tonight and she had simply too much power for Siegemund, who was blown off the court in 1hr10min.
Boulter wins 1-6, 2-6
Team GB win 2-0
Boulter is enjoying herself now moving with confidence and hitting with enormous power.
But a couple of shots find the tramlines to cede the German game-point.
Siegemund comes to the net but can’t control the volley as Boulter fizzes a low shot at her feet.
Siegemund finds a lovely winner into the corner and Boulter goes long again to earn Germany a rare game.
Better battling from Siegemund, who is trying to be aggressive in order not to let Boulter dominate.She taker her to 30-30 but Boulter steps it up a gear and dominant serving finds no answers.
Boulter takes the first point with a ferocious backhand before Siegemund nets and then mishits a volley way off court.
Her final shot of the game is even worse as she underhits a simple drop-shot into the net with an open court at her mercy.
It’s looking ominous for Germany now.
Another break for GB.
 
Siegemund takes the first two points and it looks as though she’s decided to come out of defensive mode now.
A delightful return followed by a searing crosscourt backhand is too hot for Boulter, who then nets to find herself on the verge of being broken back to love.
But the Briton displays some brilliant serving to win the next three points courtesy of serves in excess of 170kph
Siegemund, who was love-40 up, can’t deal with Boulter’s serving and Team GB go two games ahead.
 
Boulter takes the first two points some splendidly well-timed returns.
A lovely backhand pass makes it love-30, but she misses an easy backhand and then nets with another attempt at an explosive riposte.
Siegemund nets at 40-30 and then again at deuce after a rare long rally between two players both going for their shots.
Boulter looks beaten on the next point as Siegemund forces her to scamper across the court to get the ball back in play. Somehow she does and the surprised German then nets a straightforward pass with Boulter in no man’s land.
GB break.
Germany are threatening to spring to life. A delightful crosscourt drop-shot from Siegemund is too good for Boulter, who goes love-30 down before rallying with a booming passing short down the line and an explosive serve.
Siegemund nets to give Team GB game point and Boulter takes it with slow second serve that bamboozles her opponent, who nets again.
Siegemund took some time off court there, probably to give herself a talking to about her serving, which is either finding the net or being middled back at her with interest by Boulter.
Some wobbly serving on display again but somehow Siegemund battles to 40-30 as Boulter gets a bit too ambitious from the back of the court.
Game-point passes her by, though, putting more pressure on that serve of hers – she keeps getting let on her second serve, which can’t be good for the nerves.
The German hangs in there though and this time it’s Boulter to find the net and then hit long, giving Siegemund a rare service hold.
An entertaining opening rally concludes with Siegemund netting an easy chance to put Boulter’s mishit drop-shot away.A Boulter ace makes it 30-love, and though the German takes the next point, she can’t deal with Boulter’s power.A passing forehand is too good, as is her serve on set-point, which the German can only feed into the net.
A commanding first set win there from Katie Boulter.
Katie Boulter is not messing around against Germany’s Laura Siegemund…She’s taken the first set 6-1 in just 27 minutes.#BJKCup #BBCTennis pic.twitter.com/zuHJof4Bg5
Siegemund wins the first point but then hits her second double-fault to cede 15-all.
Boulter then sends a glorious crosscourt backhand into the corner with lashings of top spin.
The Englishwoman loves that corner because she finds it again with a flat in-to-out forehand to go 40-15 up.
But successive ambitious passing shots hit the tramlines and then the net to give Siegemund hope.
Double fault No 3 rears its ugly head at deuce, though, and Siegemund can’t deal with Boulter’s fierce return to yet another weak second serve. And Boulter takes the game.
Boulter’s backhand is really firing now and a screamer down the line followed by two big forehands gives her a 40-love lead.She gracefully moves her feet before placing a delightful crosscourt forehand into the corner to take the game to love.
Confident hitting from Boulter.
Siegemund makes it 15-all after losing nine points in a row but is struggling to impose with her serve.Boulter’s backhand down the line surprises the German, who then gifts two unforced errors in response to Boulter’s powerful hitting and Great Britain break serve again.
GB break again.
And after that shonky start Boulter’s eye is in, holding to love with such graceful power on her forehand, pushing Siegemund deep before finishing it off with her first ace. 
Siegemund’s early double fault opens the door for Boulter at love-30 and Boulter then nails a return right to the baseline off a second serve to earn three break points.
She only needs one, going to the net to smoke a winner as Siegemund’s serve cracks straightaway.
GB break back.  
Scrappy start from Boulter on serve, running round a forehand and failing to keep it in, then slicing another too long. Love-30. Boulter wins the next two points when Siegemund’s forehand falters off Boulter’s slice but then the British No1 drags a forehand long to yield break point. 
Siegemund starts with a break when Boulter whips a backhand off a slow ball into the net. 
Germany break. 
Laura Siegmund, who is the highest ranked of Germany’s singles players at 84, 63 places below the British No 1.
Richard Aikman will be taking over coverage in 15 minutes or so. 
I played some really good tennis, Playing Jule on an indoor hard court isn’t easy. I haven’t played for a long time. There were small sharpness things that will come the more matches I play. We had a lot of support. Thanks to everyone over here. It helps a lot, big time. We wouldn’t be here without every member of our team, playing their role, sacrificing lots of things. I’m proud of myself but proud of my team. 
Raducanu is then serenaded with Happy Birthday by the crowd. 
Fatigue definitely set in at the end but she served well with 10 aces to Niemeier’s one and merely 21 unforced errors to the German’s 31. Positive signs. 
Raducanu nails the first serve to take a 15-love lead. A dainty and effective backhand drop shot levels it for Germany.
At 30-15, Raducanu double faults and there’s a hint of deja vu with her previous service game but she sticks to her guns in a long rally with plenty of precise, top-spun forehands until Niemeier drags her crosscourt wide.
A fifth match point goes begging with Niemeier stranded when she chips a hair’s breadth too long but an unreturnable serve results in a sixth match point. 
And she wraps up victory at the sixth opportunity when Niemeier nets her backhand. 
At 15-all, Raducanu’s kicking return off a second serve eventually earns her the point. And when she monsters another second serve she gives herself two more match points. 
Niemeier swings hard off her first serve to save the first and then Raducanu drags her return into the net to tie it at deuce. 
And then Niemeier double faults once more. But Niemeier saves a fourth match point with a drop shot. 
Raducanu chops a forehand into the net and Niemeier has advantage. Raducanu spears her return off the second serve wide and long and she’ll have to serve for the match once more. 
Raducanu rattles off a 10th ace and wins the next point off her second serve to move to 30-15. Fatigue sets in a little on the first serve and after a decent rally she smears a forehand from the centre of the court wide. 
What a time to double fault! At match point. Deuce. Neimeier comes to the net to scythe a forehand winner to earn a break point. 
Raducanu saves it with a fierce backhand crosscourt winner, stepping on to it off the baseline when her opponent left her return short. 
Britain’s No2 tries to go to advantage with an ace off both serves and double faults. Break point. 
And Niemeier finally gets the lucky break off the net cord to break Raducanu’s serve. 
 
A couple of unforced errors, first on her forehand and then with her footwork, overrunning a drop shot, squander two points for Germany but at 15-30, Raducanu, sniffing an opportunity, cuffs an attempted big backhand drive into the net: 30-all.
An eighth double fault yields break point to Raducanu.  And GB seize their chance with Raducanu’s bullet return that Niemeier couldn’t get back over the net. 
Raducanu’s reliability on the serve returns and she holds to love. 
After all that, Germany start with a double fault and Raducanu nails a return winner off the second serve to move to love-30.
A third spawny net cord gives Raducanu two break points. GB have had all the good fortune. Niemeier saves the first one with her second serve as Raducanu nets. The Briton will have another off another second serve and she takes it, winning the break back immediately when Niemeier nets a backhand.
She looks like Lindsay Davenport when her first serve lands. Peter Davenport when it doesn’t.
Emma Raducanu answers back immediately! 😱She regains her break advantage over Niemeier 👀#BJKCup pic.twitter.com/O3xVbt8XGt
Niemeier’s guts in that last service hold has given her a fillip and she scrambles to win a rally of drop shots after some fine returns to earn herself two break points.
And she needs only one, anticipating the wide serve to fire a winner off it from the deuce court.
Germany break back.
Emma Raducanu answers back immediately! 😱She regains her break advantage over Niemeier 👀#BJKCup pic.twitter.com/O3xVbt8XGt
Signs that Raducanu’s aggression has rattled Niemeier whose first serve has collapsed. She’s flirting with 30 per cent on getting her first serves in and Raducanu nails winners off her second serve to take it to 30-40. Germany save the break point at the net, tellingly off a first serve. 
But then she double faults again to concede another break point. The first serve returns and earns her the next two points but Raducanu takes it back to deuce with a spiffing backhand. 
But Niemeier gives herself hope by winning back-to-back points to wrap up the hold and she skips back to her seat as much in joy as relief. 
An eighth ace, compared with her opponent’s zero, emphasises how much of a weapon she has. She lost merely nine points on her serve in the first set and only one in this game on an unforced error. Raducanu holds to 15.  
After a lengthy break Niemeier resumes and struggles with another double fault, her third, after her first serve cracks throughout. Then, at deuce, the pressure mounts and she coughs up another double fault. Advantage Raducanu. 
Germany save the break point at the net by targeting the Raducanu backhand. But Niemeier hands advantage back when she pulls an inside-out forehand wide. 
A stunning backhand return winner, flayed up the line, gives GB the break. Raducanu took that preposterously early. 
Raducanu serves for the set. Niemeier and her coach spent the break looking at a laptop screen, presumably to look at Raducanu’s serve tactics.
Raducanu starts the game with a fine forehand winner, getting very low to swat it off the return. And she doubles it with another drilled forehand. A kick serve gives her three set points and GB wrap up the hold to love when Raducanu unfurls the trusty wide serve into the ad court.
Emma Raducanu takes the first set to give @the_LTA an early lead in the match 🇬🇧#BJKCup pic.twitter.com/Rr5zRHaWfS
Niemeier frames an overhead, blinded by the lights, to make it love-15. She smiles and levels with a punishing serve down the T. Forcing Raducanu wide also pays dividends as Raducanu loses control of her return and booms it out. 
But a gorgeous backhand crosscourt winner, caressing it off her laces, from the Briton makes it 30-all. 
Niemeier shifts Raducanu from corner to corner in a fine rally and then smokes the winner with her forehand to make it 40-30 but her next forehand attempted pass drifts wide. Deuce.
Germany nail the first serve to take it to advantage and crafty approach play closes out the hold, Raducanu scrambling on her backhand side in vain to sustain a rally. 
Raducanu has the loudest members of the crowd on her side and the majority of the moronic ‘Let’s go’ ditties are sung in her favour. Niemeier starts the game brilliantly through to surge to love-30, blistering returns setting up opportunities for her to put Raducanu under pressure.
An even better return off a wide serve takes her to love-40. Raducanu saves the first beak point with a vicious serve that her opponent cannot get back, and the second with a wide, angled, spinning ace: 30-40.
And the third with a third successive fabulous serve. Deuce.
Niemeier devours a second serve to give herself a fourth break point. Raducanu defends that with a sizzling slice serve up the T off her second serve. Cojones.
At deuce Raducanu yields a double fault. Now she has to defend a fifth break point on her second serve and she does when Niemeier flaps a forehand wide.
After nine minutes Raducanu has her first game point, earned again with the serve and Niemeier crumbles at the end to spoon a return off a shortish serve into the net.
The noise when Emma Raducanu secured her first break of the match would have made her feel like she was playing in the UK.
It might be a temporary stand, but at three-quarters full there is no surprise who the majority of the supporters are there to see.
Cheers, drums and the trumpet all followed as Raducanu took the lead in the first set.
Niemeier’s serve shows signs of strain at 30-all and she double faults and then Raducanu reads the change of pace off her second serve for the next point to earn two break points.
Germany defend the first with a big serve and monster forehand but not the second. Raducanu pounces on a second serve to hammer a withering return winner up the line with her forehand.
GB break.
Emma Raducanu with a rocket return to break! 🚀#BJKCup pic.twitter.com/KxkEJCunW3
Sharp defensive backhand play from Raducanu draws the error and takes her to 30-love. She goes big with her serve once too often, though and invites a blistering return that enables Niemeier to step inside and crash a forehand winner.
Raducanu’s second ace gives her game point, and her third follows straightaway. 
Team 💙#BackTheBrits 🇬🇧 | #BJKCup pic.twitter.com/0IRsmlCrnk
Excellent forehand from deep,  the racquet coming through above shoulder height and whipped viciously crosscourt, sets Niemeier up for an overhead winner at the net. It’s not until a neat backhand drops shot from Raducanu that she gets into the game and then a lucky net cord, for which she apologises, gives her a chance at 30-all. 
Niemeier responds with a heavy serve up the T that Raducanu balloons back in regulation making it east for her opponent to smash. But a fine return from Raducanu takes it to deuce for the first time and Niemeier then double faults.
Break point, which she squanders from a place of advantage when he forehand winner up the line sails too long. A canny deep, wide serve from Niemeier allows her to come to the net and nail the winner and she battles back to hold with a kikc-serve. 
Everything going with service so far. Raducanu cruised to 40-love before she conceded a point with a double fault. Both serve and backhand functioning well so far, less so the forehand. By pushing Niemeier wide with her serves, she closes out the hold to 15 with ease. 
Niemeier uses big slice to set up a forehand winner and follows that with a deep serve that Raducanu can only just get back over. It’s 40-love when Raducanu’s forehand falters again and then she fires a backhand return into the net and Germany hold to love.
Nothing much going for the returner so far. Early days.
Raducanu begins her service game by misjudging a forehand groundstroke, again firing it too long but levels at 15-all with a fine serve, wide to Niemeier’s backhand that she can’t get back over the net. Next she unfurls an ace, hit to the widest legal extremity of the left court.
When Niemeier pulls her next return into the net, Raducanu has two game points, and she needs only one, setting up a forehand winner off another wide serve, this time a second serve. Aggressive tactics on the serve pay off.
Jule Niemeier begins serving smartly, racing to 40-love as Raducany struggles for precision, firing a backhand up the tramlines and hooking a return miles too long but as soon as she is given an opportunity, she is in like Flynn, pouncing on a short forehand to fire a winner. But Niemeier closes out the quick hold with a serve-volley tactic that catches her opponent by surprise. 
Right they’re just about ready to go. I am going to experiment with a radical tennis blogging change, asterisking the actual server of each game rather than the endlessly mystifying ‘denotes next server’. Hopefully the format will sustain this revolution and will stay upright. If this is what was undrerpinning the structure of the Telegraph’s tennis blogging empire, I apologise. 
And Niemeier elects to serve but first, the knock-up. 
God Save the King followed by the Deutschlandlied as the two teams line up by the net. 
The two camps are sitting behind the flags of their respective nations, while fans queue up outside the temporary arena to come in.
Great Britain are likely to be well-supported with many of those arriving wearing Union Flag hats, scarves, or in some cases trousers. 
The court has been lit up to add to the occasion, with the lines lit up against a dark blue backdrop as the DJ chooses crowd favourites to add to the atmosphere. 
Is being shown in the UK on BBC iPlayer, bbc.co.uk/tennis and on the Tennis Channel.
Coverage should begin imminently and the tie, Raducanu’s first match for 54 days since withdrawing from the Korea Open with an injured foot, is due to begin in 10 minutes.  
There will be an exchange of fans ahead of the Great Britain clash, and those wanting to watch Emma Raducanu and Katie Boulter will be arriving at the venue soon.
There is expected to be a reasonable attendance, although not the same as the home support for the earlier match between Spain and Poland.
There was a casual event for GB fans by the marina in the centre of Malaga, and at least some have travelled locally from expat communities to watch the Billie Jean King Cup finals.
However, as the event was originally due to take place in Seville, some fans travelled to Spain but have been left to arrange their own transport to Malaga, when the venue was moved in July.
Iga takes the match and the tie for @pzt_tenis 🇵🇱A dominant 3rd set from Swiatek see’s her win 6-3 6-7(7) 6-1 👏#BJKCup pic.twitter.com/TWclSye0uy
So Poland go 2-0 up and move into the quarter-final.
Raducanu’s match against Niemeier is on next but that will be at 5.25pm GMT. 
Swiatek is serving at 4-1 up in the third set. 
 
With Swiatek 4-1 up in the third set. Medical emergency in the crowd is the suggestion. 
The Davis Cup starts at the same venue on Tuesday, overlapping with the latter stages of the BJK Cup, and Harriet dart, for one, wants to hang around long enough to see the last knockings of a great career:
“It’s going to be iconic with Rafa retiring here. Growing up, you idolise someone like him. He’s been so special for the game, and everything he stands by and the way he is on the court as a competitor, I mean, it’s super inspiring. It’s going to be cool to be around, and hopefully we’ll be here for as long as possible.”
So the second match in Poland v Spain goes to a decider. Should Paula Badosa win the third set to make it 1-1 after Linette’s victory over Sorribes Tormo, then the tie will be decided by a doubles match and we could be here all night!
Taking the second set to a tie-break with Swiatek. 
Billie Jean King wants tennis to change its traditional scoring system to attract the next generation of fans.
The use of the word “love” to mean zero and points going in a 15-30-40 sequence have been used in tennis for centuries, but the multiple grand slam winner believes it is confusing for younger supporters.
“I want to make it easy for fans. I think it should be 1-2-3-4 not 15-love, 30-love,” King told BBC Sport. “If you are a kid – I didn’t come from tennis – what the heck does that mean? If we want to get eight, nine, 10, 11, 12-year-old children involved in our sport we have to make it accessible to them – not to a 60-year-old fan.”
Personally I think it’s the least of tennis’s worries in attracting a new audience. I have never understood the argument that tradition is confusing. It only takes a minute to explain it and once understood, it’s understood for life. 
What do you think?
 
Iga Swiatek is 6-5 up in the second set against Paula Badosa and one set up. The starting time for GB vs Germany is dependent on when this tie finishes. 
The Billie Jean King Cup finals take place in Malaga this week, with Great Britain’s team including Emma Raducanu and Katie Boulter.
Raducanu has been plagued by a series of injuries affecting her time on court since she won the US Open in 2021, but King believes she needs a sustained period away from the treatment table before her ability is scrutinised because it is hard to build momentum.
“If she can stay healthy long enough, then we’ll see how good she is,” King said. “It takes a lot to come back from injury and you have got to be very patient.”
Only two players from the top 10 are involved in the BJK Cup Finals – Poland’s Iga Swiatek and Italy’s Jasmine Paolini, with Coco Gauff, of the United States, among those who have dropped out on the eve of the tournament.
Injuries have had an impact on availability, but players have grown increasingly vocal about the length of the season, with competitions scheduled almost non-stop throughout the year.
However, King thinks those involved cannot complain about the regular WTA Tour season and then use their time off to take part in lucrative exhibition matches.
Jule Niemeier (GER) vs Emma Raducanu (GBR)Laura Siegemund (GER) vs Katie Boulter (GBR)Anna-Lena Friedsam/Tatjana Maria (GER) vs Olivia Nicholls/Heather Watson (GBR)
Good afternoon and welcome to live coverage of the Billie Jean King Cup play-off match between Great Britain and Germany, the winner of which will advance to play the holders Canada in the quarter-final. Anne Keothavong has her top three singles players – Katie Boulter, Emma Raducanu and Harriet Dart to select from for the two singles matches in the best of three tie with a doubles match to follow should it be 1-1 after them. Dart was part of the team that made it to the semi-finals in Glasgow in 2022 but it seems likely, if yet unconfirmed, that Raducanu and Boulter, ranked 58th and 24th in the world respectively, will get the nod to take on two of Laura Siegemund, 84th, Eva Lys, 130th or Jule Niemeier, 92nd.
“While it’s the end of the season for a lot of players, I feel I’m just beginning to kick-start and get things in motion, training really well, training hard, and already building towards next year,” said Raducanu yesterday. “I’m not really looking to have any more time off. I’m just looking forward to competing here this week and taking however this goes and improving on it for next year.”
Heavy rain and flooding pushed the start of the event back from Wednesday to Thursday but teams were unable to practise with the venue locked down, which meant Raducanu enjoyed a rather more subdued 22nd birthday than planned. “I’m really grateful that my team, they made a really big effort yesterday to make me feel really special,” she said. “There was birthday banners, cake, balloons. It was really nice, considering the weather. We couldn’t really go out or do anything, but it’s just how it goes. Even though those were the conditions, I still had a great time. It was very memorable.”
The tie is scheduled to start at 4pm GMT but that depends on the Spain v Poland matches, the first of which, Magda Linette’s 1-6-2-6,6-4 victory over Sara Sorribes Tormo took nine minutes shy of four hours to complete. Should Iga Swiatek make swift work of Paula Badosa (she won the first set 6-3 in 45 minutes) we might be spared the doubles decider and start roughly on time. If Badosa fights back, we could be in for a very long wait.
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