Great Britain edged closer to Billie Jean King Cup glory with a shock 2-0 victory over reigning champions Canada in Sunday's quarter-final in Malaga.
Fresh from an identical success over Germany in their first-round battle, where Emma Raducanu and Katie Boulter flexed their hard-court muscles, the same duo got the job done for the Brits on Sunday.
Raducanu continued to go from strength to strength on her comeback from a foot injury as she bested Rebecca Marino 6-0 7-5, before Boulter sank her compatriot's 2021 US Open final opponent Leylah Fernandez 6-2 6-4 to punch GB's ticket to the last four.
Friday's first-round fixture with Germany saw Raducanu play her first match in almost two months due to her latest foot problem, but the 22-year-old was a class above Jule Niemeier and was also far too hot for Marino to handle in the opening quarter-final scrap.
Barring one double fault, Raducanu was flawless on serve during the opening set and registered a bagel against world number 103 Marino, who hit 16 unforced errors in the opener compared to Raducanu's six.
The former British number one found herself on the back foot more often in the second set, but she remarkably saved all seven break points that her Canadian foe fashioned and converted the only one she brought up in the 11th game to continue her 100% start to the BJK Cup finals.
Boulter jokes she was "doubting herself" in Fernandez win
What a moment for @katiecboulter and @the_LTA 🇬🇧#BJKCup pic.twitter.com/h66XhtcV4W
— Billie Jean King Cup (@BJKCup) November 17, 2024
Raducanu's win meant that Boulter had the chance to punch GB's ticket to the semis against Fernandez, who memorably lost to the former in the US Open showpiece three years ago, and the current British number one made light work of the former Grand Slam finalist.
The pair traded respective breaks in the third and fourth games of the contest before Fernandez capitulated on serve in the seventh, double-faulting three times in four points to gift Boulter the cheapest break she will earn all year.
The world number 24 accepted that present as she served out the opener to 30, before more serving errors from her Canadian foe allowed her to build up a seemingly unassailable 4-0 lead in the second set.
Fernandez did manage to break back to 3-5 while Boulter was serving for the win, but the world number 31 had only delayed GB's progression and could only return a tired forehand into the net on match point.
"I was doubting myself the whole time!" Boulter joked on the court after the match. "No, I'm really happy with my level today. Emma [Raducanu] makes it really easy to come out here and have a swing and 1-0 up so full credit to her for starting us off well.
"Really proud of my performance today, I just wanted to come out here and really go at the defending champs and hopefully get a win. Really pleased with myself."
Great Britain will now pit their wits against Slovakia on Tuesday for the right to advance to Wednesday's final, where either Iga Swiatek's Poland or Jasmine Paolini's Italy will be waiting.
Ben Knapton
