Slovakia cruised past Great Britain 6-2 6-2 in the decisive doubles match in the Billie Jean King Cup semifinal to set up a final showdown against Italy.
British number 2 player and 2021 US Open champion Emma Raducanu beat Slovakia’s world number 241 Viktoria Hruncakova 6-4 6-4 in the opening singles match of the second semifinal to keep four-time runners-up Great Britain’s hopes of a first Billie Jean King Cup final in 43 years alive.
Raducanu has not dropped a set in her three matches at this year’s Billie Jean King Cup. The British player had played for two months before the Billie Jean King Finals due to a foot injury. She beat Germany’s Jule Niemeier and Canada’s Rebecca Marino in straight sets.
Raducanu raced out to a 5-1 lead with two breaks of serve in the first and fifth games. Hrancukova pulled one break back to 4-5, when Raducanu made a double fault on break point wasting her first attempt to serve out the first set. Raducanu recovered to close out on her second set point in the 10th game.
The second set followed a similar pattern. Both players stayed on serve until the fifth game when Raducanu went up a double break in the fifth game to 3-2. The British player held serve before earning a second break in the seventh game to open up a 5-2 lead. Hruncakova fought back to 3-5 in the eighth game. Raducanu sealed the win on her first match point with her crosscourt forecourt in the 10th game.
“Every match is truly challenging and as the tournament progresses it is more and more. It was a tough match and my opponent has a huge ball strike and played above her ranking. I was pleased with how I composed myself and served out the sets”, said Raducanu.
Rebecca Sramkova came back from one set down to beat Katie Boulter 2-6 6-4 6-4 in the second match drawing level to 1-1. Sramkova kept alive Slovakia’s dream of a first Billie Jean King Cup final since 2002. Boulter had beaten Germany’s Laura Siegemund and Canada’s Leylah Fernandez in her first two singles matches at this year’s edition of the Billie Jean King Cup.
Boulter converted her third break point in the first game of the opening set, but lost her first service game immediately. Boulter won five of the next six games with two breaks of serve to clinch the first set 6-2.
Sramkova started the second set with a love hold in the first game before breaking in the second game of the second set to take a 2-0 lead. Boulter broke straight back at deuce in the third game for 1-2. Sramkova earned her second break in the fourth game and held serve to open up a 4-1 lead. Boulter broke back in the seventh game to draw level to 4-4. Sramkova broke serve on her second set point after a series of unforced errors from Boulter to close out the second set 6-4 forcing the match to the third set.
Sramkova earned an early break at the start of the third set with a backhand winner.
Boulter came back from 1-3 down to draw level to 4-4. Sramkova held serve as Boulter put a volley into the net at 4-4 30-30. Sramkova earned two match points after a double fault from Boulter.
Sramkova broke serve on her second match point to win the third set 6-4 sending the match to the decider.
Sramkova now leads 2-0 in her head-to-head matches against Boulter after taking a tight two-set win over her British opponent in Rome last May.
Sramkova has scored her third win his week after beating USA’s Danielle Collins and Australia’s Ajla Tomljanovic.
“It did not start in the best way for me. She was serving and returning amazing in the second set. It was tough for me to play how I played. I was trying to push her more but it was impossible in the first set. I am very happy I was pushing more in the second and third set and we got a point”, said Sramkova.
Viktoria Hruncakova and Tereza Mihalikova beat Olivia Nicholls and Heather Watson 6-2 6-2 In the decisive doubles match.
Hruncakova and Mihalikova raced out to a 4-0 kead with a double break and served out on their second set point in the eighth game. The Slovakian team went up a break at love to take a 2-1 lead. Watson and Nicholls missed three break points to get back on serve at 3-1. Slovakia earned a double break before serving out the win to seal a spot in their first final since they won the Billie Jean King Cup Trophy in 2002.
The British team captained by Ane Keothavong was aiming to win the Billie Jean King Cup for the first time in history after finishing runners-up four times in 1967, 1971, 1972 and 1981.
