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Great Britain has secured their place in the Billie Jean King Cup quarter-finals after Emma Raducanu and Katherine Boulter won their matches against Germany. Raducanu, who was playing her first match in almost two months due to a foot injury, secured a 6-4, 6-4 victory over Jule Niemeier in the opening match of Britain’s first-round tie. Boulter followed with a 6-1, 6-2 victory over Laura Siegemund later on Friday to guarantee victory for Britain in the best-of-three encounter.
Raducanu, who won the 2021 US Open as a teenage qualifier, had been suffering from wrist and ankle injuries from last year that required surgeries. She had not played since 21 September when she retired from her Korea Open quarter-final. On Thursday, she said she was ready to play again. She produced an encouraging display in the 12-nation women’s team event in Malaga, leading Britain to their first-ever victory in the Billie Jean King Cup.
In the second match, Boulter demonstrated her strength on the court, clinching victory to ensure the team progressed to the quarter-finals without the need for Olivia Nicholls and Heather Watson to play in a deciding doubles match. Britain, who have never won the BJK Cup, will face defending champions Canada in the last eight on Sunday from 16:00 GMT.
Possessing players with the pedigree of Boulter and former Grand Slam champion Raducanu is why captain Anne Keothavong believes her squad has the talent to go all the way. The pair combined to lead Britain to the BJK Cup Finals in April’s qualifying win over France and that winning formula has continued in Malaga. Boulter, who has just returned from a successful seven-week stint in Asia, reached the Tokyo semi-finals before finishing runner-up in Hong Kong
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