- Emma Raducanu was serenaded as she returned from injury as a winner
- Katie Boulter defeated her German opponent in a triumphant night for the pair
- Great Britain to face Canada in Billie Jean King Cup quarterfinals
Emma Raducanu was serenaded with a jubilant rendition of “Happy Birthday” after emerging from hibernation to remind us of her talent, clawing her way to victory to kick-start Great Britain’s Billie Jean King Cup finals campaign.
Raducanu, who turned 22 on Wednesday, took care of German Jule Niemeier 6-4, 6-4 to put GB 1-0 up in the tie, before Katie Boulter, after six grueling weeks in Asia, finished off the things with a 6-1, 6-2 win over Laura Siegemund.
GB play Canada on Sunday and it would be unwise to put a limit on their chances here. The Maple Leafs may be the champions, but they’re still heavily reliant on Leylah Fernandez, and the United States, the pre-event favorite, is out after its three best players withdrew. There’s a good chance there will be a surprise winner, so why shouldn’t it be Anne Keothavong’s Merry Band?
Raducanu is only likely to 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 rust in the early games and in Raducanu’s laborious attempts to put the match away, but overall he looked a class above Niemeier, prevailing on his sixth match point.
Of those missed opportunities, Raducanu said: “I haven’t played a game in a long time, so I think it’s just little things that come up.” “I’m really proud of the way I regrouped and managed to close out the game in the last game.” He ran straight to the ice baths after the game, but added: “Physically I felt pretty good, it was a good test.”
The key to victory was Raducanu’s serve: a lethal weapon during his run to the 2021 US Open title, but sometimes a weakness thereafter.
Emma Raducanu was serenaded with happy birthday songs as she returned as the winner
The 22-year-old returned to action after two months out with a foot injury.
He defeated German player Jule Niemeier 6-4, 6-4 in the final of the Billie Jean King Cup.
He was encouraged, but said he can still gain sharpness after a triumphant return.
Katie Boulter also beat Laura Siegemund 6-1, 6-2 as Great Britain beat Germany.
Raducanu is more of a boom spot server, making up for what she lacks in power in precision, and she was tremendously accurate here.
He hit 10 aces, well above his season average of 3.4 per match, and several saved break points. Niemeier could only manage one ace and eight double faults, one of which helped Raducanu break for 4-3 in the first set.
The British number 2 saved five break points in the next game, one of them with a brave ace on the second serve cut in half, and from then on he had no major problems.
A healthy contingent of Brits, many of whom had arrived by bus from Seville, accompanied her to the finish line; The venue was changed in July and most fans had already booked flights and hotels.
The start of the tie was delayed by a prolonged battle between Spain and Poland. At 3 hours and 49 minutes, Magda Linette’s victory over Sara Sorribes Tormo was the second-longest Billie Jean King Cup match ever recorded, and then Iga Swiatek did a poor job of beating Paola Badosa to eliminate Spain.
Disappointment for the hosts in the women’s event, but here in Malaga Rafa’s hysteria is increasing. The big man made his first appearance on the practice court ahead of Spain’s first Davis Cup match on Tuesday.
The Spanish team received a boost with the premature elimination of Carlos Alcaraz from the ATP final in Turin. The hosts’ number one player will now have a couple of days to acclimatise to the conditions here before attempting to help give Nadal a grand send-off.