World No 12 Emma Raducanu has been chosen alongside Harriet Dart to play the opening singles matches for Nice Britain on Friday; Raducanu is making her singles debut within the competitors and the competition with Tereza Martincova will mark her first skilled match on clay
Final Up to date: 14/04/22 5:40pm
Emma Raducanu is able to make her singles debut within the Billie Jean King Cup for Nice Britain
Emma Raducanu is about to face Tereza Martincova in her Billie Jean King Cup singles debut for Nice Britain on Friday.
The British staff are taking up the Czech Republic within the Qualifiers on clay on the Tennis Membership I.CLTK Prague, the location of the 1986 finals.
The staff includes Raducanu, Harriet Dart, Katie Swan and Sonay Kartal. The winners of the Billie Jean King Cup Qualifiers will advance to the Billie Jean King Cup Finals in November, whereas the losers will go into Play-Offs for the 2023 Qualifiers.
World No 12 Raducanu has been chosen alongside British No 2 Harriet Dart to play the opening singles matches on Friday. Dart will open the motion towards Marketa Vondrousova, earlier than Raducanu takes on Martincova.
Saturday’s reverse singles will see the gamers swap opponents, with the potential of a deciding doubles match to comply with.
Raducanu is not going to simply be making her senior Nice Britain debut on Friday, however she will even enjoying her first skilled match on clay.
She spent per week on the floor in Italy previous to travelling to Prague and regardless of her toes affected by the sliding wanted to thrive on the floor, Raducanu is optimistic for the longer term.
“That is going to be my first skilled match on clay so I am undoubtedly studying,” Raducanu mentioned.
“I really feel this could possibly be one in every of my strongest surfaces going ahead however in fact, it is early days proper now. I really feel like I’ve acquired much more potential, bodily and I do get pleasure from sliding.
“So, after spending extra time on this floor, I am certain I am going to time it higher and study extra concerning the floor but additionally simply the time that the clay brings. I really feel like I can actually use it and play aggressive.”
Nice Britain are at the moment ranked fifteenth out of 115 nations within the Billie Jean King Cup rankings, whereas the Czech staff are ranked fifth and seeded fourth for the Qualifiers.
The Czech staff are with out various skilled faces for this tie, together with French Open champion Barbora Krejcikova, Karolina Pliskova and Petra Kvitova.
World doubles No 1 Katerina Siniakova – who received a marathon contest with Raducanu in Miami final month – was a late withdrawal for the Czechs by means of harm too.
The British outfit head into the tie on the Tennis Membership I.CLTK Prague with out appreciable expertise too. Johanna Konta has now retired, plus Heather Watson and Katie Boulter are lacking this tie.
Dart, who not too long ago broke into the highest 100 for the primary time, made her Billie Jean King singles debut two years in the past, dropping two tight matches towards Slovakia.
Swan and 20-year-old debutante Kartal, who was Raducanu’s largest rival as a junior, accomplished the quartet. The Czechs may also name on Karolina Muchova, Marie Bouzkova and 16-year-old prodigy Linda Fruhvirtova.
The British staff go into the tie because the underdogs, however staff captain Anne Keothavong has backed Raducanu to rise to the event.
“It is a new expertise for her, one other new expertise, however one I am certain she’ll absorb her stride and embrace,” Keothavong mentioned. “These are thrilling occasions, not only for Emma however for all of us right here.
“We have a tricky problem on our palms. Those that comply with tennis will know the Czechs are one of many strongest nations, notably within the ladies’s recreation, on this planet and I feel their document on this competitors speaks for itself.
“So sure, we’ll be up towards it however the staff have ready properly. There’s good staff spirit they usually’re prepared to present it their finest.”
