Emma Raducanu made it a hat-trick of wins in Malaga to put Great Britain one victory away from the Billie Jean King Cup final.
The 22-year-old is yet to drop a set and followed up her successes against Jule Niemeier and Rebecca Marino by overcoming Slovakia’s Viktoria Hruncakova 6-4 6-4.
Raducanu was a big favourite on paper against the world number 238 and she could not find the same fluency in a nervy encounter, but she did enough to clinch a priceless point.
ONE WIN AWAY FROM THE FINAL 🤩@EmmaRaducanu gives us a 1-0 lead over Slovakia!!!#BackTheBrits 🇬🇧 | #BJKCup pic.twitter.com/h8c90XUxGw
— LTA (@the_LTA) November 19, 2024
“Every match is truly challenging,” said Raducanu. “As the tournament progresses it’s more and more. Today was a really tough battle.
“My opponent had huge ball striking. I’m really pleased with how I once again composed myself and served it out in both sets.”
The groups of local school children packed into the temporary arena helped create a lively atmosphere and Katie Boulter will now look to emulate her compatriot by maintaining a perfect record this week.
Victory over Rebecca Sramkova would send Britain through to the final of the competition, which was formerly known as the Fed Cup, for the fifth time but first since 1981.
Hruncakova has a good record in the event despite her lowly ranking but she has not faced many players of Raducanu’s calibre and once again the British player surged ahead.
There were signs of nerves from the 2021 US Open champion in her opening service game but she saved three break points and raced into a 5-1 lead, capitalising on Hruncakova’s sluggish movement.
Raducanu became a little passive trying to close out the set and Hruncakova pulled back three games in a row but the British number two clenched her fist after serving it out at the second time of asking.
Insanity 🤯
— Billie Jean King Cup (@BJKCup) November 19, 2024
Emma Raducanu makes a sensational shot 🔥#BJKCup | @the_LTA pic.twitter.com/K1hIdY7YtA
The only previous time the pair had met, in Auckland at the start of last year, Raducanu suffered an ankle injury and retired after the second set, eventually undergoing surgery on the joint.
Happily there were no such mishaps here and Raducanu was donated a break for 3-2 in the second set thanks to four errors from Hruncakova, while another break put her on the verge of victory.
Again Raducanu wobbled getting over the line, needing two chances to clinch victory, which she eventually did thanks to an unreturnable serve.
