Great Britain exit Billie Jean King Cup to mighty Czechia in quarter-finals

Great Britain’s stay at the Billie Jean King Cup Finals lasted only one match as they fell to Czechia in the quarter-finals in Shenzhen. Anne Keothavong’s side were bidding to reach the last four for the fourth time in five years but were considerable underdogs and defeats for Sonay Kartal and Katie Boulter sealed their fate.Led by Wimbledon champion Linda Noskova, the whole Czech team is ranked higher than any of Britain’s players, and it was Noskova who sealed victory with a 6-2, 7-6 (3) win over Boulter. That followed a lengthy struggle between Marie Bouzkova and Kartal lasting a minute short of three hours, which the Czech eventually took 7-6 (2) 4-6 6-4.It was a fine effort from Kartal, who was playing her first match in six months after suffering a stress fracture in her back in Indian Wells in March and she will now hope to finish the season strongly. The Czechs will bid for their seventh title in the competition since 2011 while Britain’s hopes of lifting the trophy for the first time are over for another year.Keothavong’s team have over-performed in the Billie Jean King Cup in recent years and did so again by reaching the finals, with an under-strength team upsetting Australia in April. Neither Kartal nor Boulter were available for that tie, with the former in the early stages of an injury break that would eventually see her miss the French Open, Wimbledon and the US Open.Kartal found her range immediately against 26th-ranked Bouzkova, who has had a very good season, but could not convert a 40-0 lead in the third game to make it 3-0 and was edged out in a first-set tie-break. She fought back well in the second set, often dictating the play against Bouzkova, who was preferred to Wimbledon finalist Karolina Muchova.When Kartal broke to lead 2-1 in the deciding set, she appeared to be in the ascendancy, but fatigue seemed to catch up with the 24-year-old as Bouzkova reeled off four games in a row. Kartal, now ranked down at 127, hung on grimly, saving three match points and breaking the Bouzkova serve, but she could not quite get back on level terms.That left Boulter with the formidable task of trying to beat world No 6 Noskova, who claimed her first grand slam title at SW19 in July. Boulter struggled with her serve in losing the opening four games but she has a very good record playing for her country and thereafter there was little to choose between the players.Anne Keothavong, captain of Great Britain, shows support for Sonay Kartal during her match against Marie Bouzkova. Photograph: Wang He/Getty Images for LTABut Noskova served brilliantly in the tie-break to lead the Czechs into the semi-finals for the first time since 2023.Meanwhile, Great Britain will play Alexander Zverev’s Germany in the quarter-finals of the Davis Cup in November. Britain booked their return to the eight-team finals, this year held in Bologna, over the weekend with a 4-0 victory against Ecuador at London’s Copper Box.The Davis Cup Finals take place at the SuperTennis Arena from 24 to 29 November, with Britain lined up to play either Spain or Austria if they prevail against Germany.