Great Britain triumphed in their opening tie of the Billie Jean King Cup qualifying stage on Friday, defeating Group F rivals Germany despite the late withdrawal of star player Emma Raducanu.
British No. 3 Sonay Kartal made a strong debut in Raducanu’s absence, defeating Germany’s Jule Niemeier 6-4, 6-2 after recovering from an early break. “I’m super proud of that debut match,” said the 23-year-old. “It’s nerve-wracking coming out first, but I think the crowd really stuck with me.”
Following Kartal’s victory, Katie Boulter pulled off a gritty comeback against Tatjana Maria, overcoming a first set loss to win 1-6, 6-3, 6-1. “It was a tough match, especially being my first on clay,” Boulter admitted. “But I found my rhythm and I’m proud of the way I fought.”
With both singles matches secured, Britain clinched the tie 2-0 ahead of the final doubles match, where Harriet Dart and Olivia Nicholls will face Germany’s Laura Siegemund and Anna-Lena Friedsam.
Team GB returns on Saturday to take on the Netherlands. The group winner will earn a spot in the BJK Cup Finals in Shenzhen this September.
