Boulter & Raducanu put GB into BJK Cup quarter-finals

Emma Raducanu made a winning return from injury before Katie Boulter followed with another victory to secure Great Britain’s place in the Billie Jean King Cup quarter-finals.

In the opening match of Britain’s first-round tie against Germany, Raducanu secured a 6-4 6-4 victory – on her sixth match point after an edgy finish – over Jule Niemeier in Malaga.

The 22-year-old was playing her first match in almost two months because of a foot injury, but produced an encouraging display in the 12-nation women’s team event on her latest comeback.

“I feel pretty good physically. Emotionally I felt pretty calm out there. I’m very pleased to have scored that point,” said Raducanu.

“I think this event is a great way to come back, even though there is some pressure to score a point for your team. You’re not just playing for yourself, you’re playing for everyone.”

Fresh from breaking into the top 25, British number one Boulter clinched victory in the best-of-three encounter with a 6-1 6-2 win over 84th-ranked Laura Siegemund later on Friday.

Boulter’s win ensured the nation progressed without needing Olivia Nicholls and Heather Watson to play in a deciding doubles match against German pair Anna-Lena Friedsam and Tatjana Maria.

Britain, who have never won the BJK Cup, will face defending champions Canada in the last eight on Sunday from 16:00 GMT.

Ever since Raducanu won the 2021 US Open as a teenage qualifier, she has often found herself at the centre of attention.

It has been no different in Spain this week and, while that can often be uncomfortable in a team environment, the focus was justified with plenty of intrigue about Raducanu’s fitness.

Raducanu, who is continuing her return from wrist and ankle surgeries last year, had not played since 21 September when she retired from her Korea Open quarter-final against Daria Kasatkina after damaging ligaments in her left foot.

A month ago she was still wearing a protective boot. On Thursday she insisted she was ready. But what shape would she really be in?

After a demoralising US Open first-round exit, Raducanu lamented the lack of court time in the run-up and it led to valid questions about her match sharpness in Malaga.

Rustiness in her returning showed in the opening exchanges against 92nd-ranked Niemeier before she quickly began to find rhythm.

Her serving was particularly effective in the first set – especially in the key moments.

Seven aces, including four as she recovered from 0-40 for a 5-3 lead, and winning 80% of her points on first serve did the damage.

Niemeier, a Wimbledon quarter-finalist in 2022, has a powerful game which lent itself to success on the grass but, after a strong start against Raducanu, the 25-year-old’s service game disintegrated and confidence seemed to sap.

After an exchange of breaks early in the second set, 58th-ranked Raducanu locked in again mentally to move a double break ahead.

But if the hefty British presence at the Palacio de Deportes thought it was going to be straightforward conclusion from there, they were mistaken.

Getting over the line was where Raducanu’s lack of court time told.

Raducanu lost one serve after squandering a match point at 5-2 with a double fault, could not take three more opportunities in the ninth game, but finally sealed victory at the sixth time of asking.

“I’m proud with how I regrouped, because it’s not easy,” said Raducanu.

“I did a really good job to give myself that cushion and lead, so any first-match-back nerves [meant] I had a bit of room to maybe lose my focus a little bit, even though that’s not ideal.”

In an event where many nations are shorn of their biggest stars, Britain having their best two singles players available is a considerable asset.

Possessing players with the pedigree of Boulter – the highest-ranked singles player left in the draw behind Poland’s Iga Swiatek and Italy’s Jasmine Paolini – and former Grand Slam champion Raducanu is why captain Anne Keothavong believes her squad have 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, 28, has just returned from a successful seven-week stint in Asia, where she reached the Tokyo semi-finals before going a step further by finishing runner-up in Hong Kong.

Her confidence on the hard courts showed in a ruthless win over Siegemund which took just 70 minutes.

“Going in 1-0 up feels great, it helps me swing free a little bit more,” said Boulter.

“Emma did incredibly well. Obviously she hasn’t played that many matches, so to see that level out there again is really nice to see. It’s where she belongs.”