Team GB set to begin Billie Jean King Cup Finals campaign
Action at the Emirates Arena in Glasgow will kick off on Tuesday with Team Great Britain playing in the night session against Kazakhstan, led by Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina.
The hosts will be without their No. 1 player, Emma Raducanu, as the 2021 US Open champion failed to recover from a wrist injury in time for the event.
Anne Keothavong, Great Britain’s Billie Jean King Cup captain, said:
“She did everything to be fit for Glasgow but it wasn’t going to happen.
“It was evident when she went on court and tried hitting a few balls that she was going to need more time.”
Raducanu recently hired Andy Murray’s former fitness coach, Jez Green, after a season marred by injuries and a revolving door of coaches that has led to the 19-year-old dropping out of the Top 70 in the rankings.
The Brit is not the only star skipping the event as World No.1 Iga Swiatek has announced she will not play in the Billie Jean King Cup Finals due to scheduling, with the WTA Finals taking place in Texas this week.
Great Britain will instead be led by World No. 95, Harriet Dart, who has shown signs of brilliance with deep runs at Eastbourne and Indian Wells, though has struggled for consistency this season.
Anne Keothavong also nominated Grenoble champion Katie Boulter and experienced Heather Watson alongside doubles specialists Alicia Barnett and Olivia Nicholls.
The Billie Jean King Cup Finals format has 12 teams divided into four groups, with Great Britain set to battle against Spain and Kazakhstan for a spot in the semifinals.
“Great Britain is not among the strongest teams in the field, but it has some chances of getting out of the group stage as the draw turned out to be fairly kind,” said Cracked Racquets writer Damian Kust.
Spain is the seeded team in Group C though they are missing two-time slam champion Garbine Muguruza as well as their No. 3 player Sara Sorribes Tormo.
Kazakhstan’s top two players Elena Rybakina and Yulia Putintseva are higher-ranked than any of Great Britain’s players but the team lacks depth with no one else in the Top 400.
“One of the major strengths of Great Britain’s team will be having three singles players at a very similar level,” said Kust.
“If one gets hurt or doesn’t perform to her standards, there’s really no harm in doing a switch for the next tie.”
After facing Kazakhstan in the opener on Tuesday night, Great Britain will face off against Spain on Thursday at 4pm.
Great Britain’s matches will be shown on BBC Sport and BBC iPlayer while all the ties from the Billie Jean King Cup Finals will be broadcast by BT Sport.
