‘She’s a great talent’ Emma Raducanu praised by Billie Jean King Cup Captain
Britain’s Billie Jean King Cup Captain Anne Keothavong has hailed Emma Raducanu ahead of her Bille Jean King Cup debut labeling her “a great talent”.
The 19-year-old, who made history when she won at Flushing Meadows without dropping a set last September, is set to make her singles debut in the qualifying match in a team consisting of Harriet Dart, Katie Swan and Sonay Kartal.
Keothavong will be looking to the British number one Raducanu to show some of the qualities she demonstrated on the biggest stage when winning the US Open. Reflecting on the victory, Keothavong praised Raducanu but also believed that is was an incredible accomplishment that nobody saw coming.
Speaking to SkySports she said, “We’ve all known she’s a great talent. She had a promising career ahead of her but I don’t think anyone expected her to do what she did in New York so soon.
“I think it caught the whole of tennis by surprise and it’s something that is a fantastic story and one that we should continue to celebrate because I’m not sure we’ll see anything like that happen ever again.”
The former British number one, discussed further the impact of Emma Raducanu and the future of British stating, “What’s happening on the men’s side is brilliant and Emma’s success on the women’s side has been inspirational. Tennis is more popular now than ever and hopefully there will be more young kids who will be inspired by the success of top British tennis players and we’ll have a greater pool of talent to choose from in the future.”
The qualifier is set to be held outdoors on clay at Stvanice National Tennis Stadium in Prague from 15-16 April against home favorites the Czech Republic. The Czech Republic have won the competition a mammoth 11 times – the second most in the history of the tournament. However, they will be without the World number two Barbora Krejcikova and two-time Wimbledon Champion Petra Kvitova.
The winners of the match will advance to the Billie Jean King Cup Finals in November, whilst the losers will have to battle it out in the play-offs for a spot in the 2023 Qualifiers.
? Join >> Receive $700/£600 of tennis gear from the Tennishead CLUB
? Social >> Facebook, Twitter, Instagram & YouTube
? Read >> World’s best tennis magazine
? Watch >> How to enjoy ATP/WTA/Slam tennis on TV
? Shop >> Lowest price tennis gear from our trusted partner
? Gambling >> Betway tennis odds