Great Britain’s hopes of landing a maiden Billie Jean King Cup title came to grief on Tuesday when an unheralded Slovakian team staged an ambush in Malaga. The force appeared to be with the British when Emma Raducanu’s victory in the opening rubber left Katie Boulter needing to beat world No 43 Rebecca Sramkova to seal a first appearance in the

Emma Raducanu will start preparations for 2025 while Katie Boulter takes a well-earned rest after Great Britain’s Billie Jean King Cup loss to Slovakia brought their seasons to a close. They will also need to get over the disappointment of seeing Britain’s hopes of a first final appearance since 1981 snatched away from a winning position.

Emma Raducanu and Katie Boulter combine to lead Great Britain into the Billie Jean King Cup semi-finals at the expense of defending champions Canada.