No doubles required
Great Britain’s stay at the Billie Jean King Cup Finals lasted exactly one tie. In Shenzhen on Tuesday, Czechia wrapped up their quarter-final after the two singles rubbers, leaving the doubles pair with nothing to play for.
The first rubber took the longest by far. World No. 26 Marie Bouzkova needed just short of three hours to beat Sonay Kartal 7-6 (7-2), 4-6, 6-4. Linda Noskova then closed it out against Katie Boulter, 6-2, 7-6 (7-3).
Nobody expected much else. Every player in the Czech squad sits above every British player in the rankings, and captain Anne Keothavong knew it going in. Her side needed two career-best days and some luck, she said. She also thinks the Czechs can lift the trophy.
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Six months out, three points from a 3-0 lead
Kartal hadn’t played a match since March. The 24-year-old picked up a back stress fracture at Indian Wells, skipped Roland-Garros, Wimbledon and the US Open, and has slid to No. 127.
You wouldn’t have guessed it early on. She led 40-0 on the game that would have made it 3-0 in the opening set, and later broke to go 2-1 up in the decider. Then her legs went. Bouzkova won four straight games, and although Kartal saved three match points and got one of the breaks back, she never drew level. Bouzkova, picked ahead of Wimbledon finalist Karolina Muchova, had kind words for her opponent afterwards.
Boulter’s match started badly. Four games down before she’d found her range against the world No. 6, she dug in and forced a tie-break, where Noskova, the Wimbledon champion in July, served her way through.
A seventh title in sight for the Czechs
This is Czechia’s first semi-final since 2023, and they’re chasing a seventh crown since 2011. Britain had been aiming for a fourth semi in five years. The wait for a first title goes on.
The men’s team gets its turn in November, a Davis Cup quarter-final against Alexander Zverev’s Germany in Bologna. Jack Draper won’t be there. He’s done for the season.
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