Reigning champions dumped out as Great Britain march into Billie Jean King Cup semi-finals in Malaga

Great Britain stormed into the Billie Jean King Cup semi-finals with a flawless performance against Canada in Malaga on Sunday, maintaining their unbeaten record in the tournament. Emma Raducanu and Katie Boulter delivered decisive victories, while last year’s champions struggled to replicate their form from 2023.

In the headline clash, British number one Boulter, ranked 24th in the world, dismantled Leylah Fernandez, the US Open 2022 runner-up, in straight sets. Fernandez, instrumental in Canada’s unexpected triumph in Seville last year, was visibly frustrated with her performance.

After an initial 2-2 tie, Boulter dominated the match, winning eight consecutive games. A brief lapse saw her edge nervously to a 4-5, 40-40 position before relying on her serve to close out the contest 6-2, 6-4.

Raducanu, currently ranked 58th, had set the tone earlier in the day with a commanding 6-0, 7-5 victory over Rebecca Marino. Despite Marino’s attempts to rally in the second set, the Briton capitalised on her sole break point at 5-5 to seal the win.

Canada’s team, missing key player Marina Stakusic, looked a shadow of their former selves. Stakusic, vital in last year’s campaign, was absent, leaving Fernandez to shoulder much of the burden.

Now, Great Britain remains the only team yet to lose a match in this year’s competition. Next up, they face Slovakia on Tuesday in the semi-finals from 12pm.

In the other semi-finals (Monday, 5pm) will be a highly anticipated clash between Jasmine Paolini (world number four) and Iga Swiatek (world number two) as Italy take on Poland.