- Emma Raducanu was serenaded as she made her winning comeback from injury
- Katie Boulter saw off her German opponent in a triumphant night for the pair
- Great Britain will face Canada in quarter-finals of the Billie Jean King Cup
Emma Raducanu was serenaded with a jubilant rendition of ‘happy birthday’ after she emerged from hibernation to remind us of her talent, acing her way to victory to get Great Britain’s Billie Jean King Cup finals campaign up and running.
Raducanu, who turned 22 on Wednesday, took care of Germany’s Jule Niemeier 6-4, 6-4 to put GB 1-0 up in the tie, before Katie Boulter, on the back of six gruelling weeks in Asia, finished things off with a 6-1, 6-2 thrashing of Laura Siegemund.
GB will play Canada on Sunday and it would be unwise to put any ceiling on their chances here. The Maple Leafs may be the holders but they remain hugely reliant on Leylah Fernandez, and pre-event favourites the USA are out after their three best players all withdrew. There is a good chance of a surprise winner so why shouldn’t that be Anne Keothavong’s merry band?
Raducanu is likely to only improve as, having not played since a foot injury in September, the question here was whether the break had left her refreshed or rusty.
There was certainly some oxidation about the first few games and in Raducanu’s laboured attempts to kill the match off but overall she looked a class above Niemeier, prevailing on her sixth match point.
On those missed chances, Raducanu said: ‘I have not played a match in a long time so I think these are small sharpness things that come. I am very proud of the way I regrouped and managed to close it out in the final game.’ She rushed straight to the ice baths after the match but added: ‘Physically I felt quite good, it was a good test.’
The key to victory was Raducanu’s serve: a lethal weapon during her run to the 2021 US Open title but at times a weakness thereafter.
Emma Raducanu was serenaded with happy birthday chants as she made a winning comeback
The 22-year-old was back in action after being out for two months with a foot injury
She dispatched German player Jule Niemeier 6-4, 6-4 in the Billie Jean King Cup finals
She was encouraged but said she can still gain sharpness after a triumphant return
Katie Boulter also saw off Laura Siegemund 6-1, 6-2 s Great Britain advanced past Germany
Raducanu is a ‘spot’ server rather a boomer, making up with precision for what she lacks in power, and she was deadly accurate here.
She served 10 aces, way above her season average of 3.4 per match, and several came to save break points. Niemeier could manage only a single ace and eight double faults – one of which helped Raducanu to break for 4-3 in the first set.
The British No2 saved five break points in the next game, one with a gutsy second-serve ace sliced down the middle, and was largely untroubled from there.
She was serenaded to the finish line by a healthy contingent of Brits, many of whom had been bussed over from Seville – the venue was changed in July, with most fans having already booked flights and hotels.
The start of the tie was delayed by a protracted battle between Spain and Poland. At 3 hours and 49 minutes, Magda Linette’s win over Sara Sorribes Tormo was the second longest Billie Jean King Cup match on record, and then Iga Swiatek made heavy weather of beating Paola Badosa to knock Spain out.
Disappointment for the hosts in the women’s event, then, but here in Malaga Rafa hysteria is building. The great man made his first appearance on the practice court ahead of Spain’s first Davis Cup match on Tuesday.
There was something of a boost for the Spanish team with the premature elimination of Carlos Alcaraz from the ATP finals in Turin. The hosts’ No1 player will now have a couple of days to acclimatise to the conditions here before trying to help give Nadal a grand sendoff.