| Venue: Coventry Constructing Society Enviornment, Coventry Dates: Friday and Saturday 14 and 15 April |
| Protection: Watch stay on the BBC Sport web site and BBC iPlayer, plus each day stay textual content commentaries and reviews on the web site and app. |
Britain’s Katie Boulter appeared set to trigger a significant upset earlier than world quantity 5 Caroline Garcia confirmed her high quality within the decisive moments to place France forward within the Billie Jean King Cup.
Boulter, 26, misplaced 6-7 (2-7) 7-6 (7-4) 7-6 (7-2) because the hosts got here shut to creating a dream begin to the qualifier.
Boulter led 4-2 within the decider earlier than dropping a compelling contest that lasted three hours and 26 minutes.
Britain’s Harriet Dart performs Alize Cornet subsequent on Friday within the singles.
The tie in Coventry is best-of-five matches with the winner incomes a spot within the finals of the ladies’s workforce occasion in November.
Britain reached the semi-finals of final yr’s finals and are once more trying to channel their underdog spirit to beat a French facet that’s a lot stronger when it comes to rankings and former pedigree.
Fired-up Boulter epitomises British underdog spirit
In entrance of just about 2,000 house followers, Boulter confirmed she is a participant for the massive event in a boisterous environment, and the way she thrives within the workforce surroundings, although she was finally unable to recover from the road towards 2022 US Open semi-finalist Garcia.
With British primary Emma Raducanu once more lacking, captain Anne Keothavong has named the identical workforce who reached the final 4 in Glasgow.
Boulter has struggled for match wins on the WTA Tour in current months, dropping to exterior the highest 150 of the world rankings, however was picked because the second singles participant by Keothavong.
The present of religion was repaid as Boulter demonstrated her high quality and struggle – in addition to epitomising the togetherness which Keothavong has harnessed – to threaten a surprising win over Garcia.
“I’ll take that defeat to coronary heart and it is actually going to harm but additionally I do know the extent I am taking part in at,” mentioned Boulter, who was aiming for a third-straight win over a top-10 opponent following victories over Karolina Pliskova at Eastbourne and Wimbledon final yr.
“It is solely a matter of time the place I get these wins and get to the place I need to be. I genuinely consider that it will come.”
After going a break up within the decider, Boulter was nicely heading in the right direction to earn the most important victory of her profession earlier than Garcia upped her degree amid the strain to struggle again and clinch victory together with her third match level.
Garcia’s aid at coming via such a bruising battle was evident as she dropped her racquet and coated her face with each palms.
“It was a loopy match, to play nicely over three hours is fairly uncommon in tennis in three units,” mentioned Garcia, who helped France win the match in 2019.
“Three tie-breaks exhibits how tight the match was. I needed to struggle and play nicely in just a few factors right here and there.”
