Fed Cup - GB reach World Group II play-offs
Great Britain qualified for the Fed Cup World Group II play-offs after beating Austria in a play-off in Israel.
Victories from Anne Keothavong and Elena Baltacha secured the win to ensure a perfect start to Judy Murray's reign as team captain.
Britain had to win group matches against Portugal, the Netherlands and Israel to set up the play-off clash with the Austrians and they then proceeded to win the promotion play-off in style.
First up, Keothavong came from an early break down to defeat Austria's Patricia Mayr-Achleitner 7-6 (5) 6-3.
Then Elena Baltacha won the first 16 points against Tamira Paszek on her way to a dominant 6-1 6-4 victory to seal promotion.
"We did it! So, so happy right now! Great Britain Fed Cup team are just rocking it," said Keothavong on Twitter.
Britain have competed in every Fed Cup tournament since it began in 1963 but have never won it.
They have reached the final four times but not since 1981. Their World Group II play-off will take place in April.
Former world number one Serena Williams gave the United States a commanding 2-0 lead over Belarus after top ranked Victoria Azarenka was unable to compete for the eastern Europeans because of a sore lower back.
American Christina McHale defeated Belarus' Anastasia Yakimova 6-0 6-4, then Williams beat Olga Govortsova 7-5 6-0 in the World Group II tie indoors at Worcester, Massachusetts.
Australian Open champion Azarenka will be eligible to face Williams, if she responds to treatment, in the first match of the reverse singles on Sunday. A doubles match is also scheduled for Sunday.
Williams has been hampered by an injured ankle that she sustained before the Australian Open, but said it was improving.
"It's feeling fine," she said. "I'm surprised as how well it's doing considering. I'm actually really excited about the progress."
Former world number one Serena Williams gave the United States a commanding 2-0 lead over Belarus after top ranked Victoria Azarenka was unable to compete for the eastern Europeans because of a sore lower back.
American Christina McHale defeated Belarus' Anastasia Yakimova 6-0 6-4, then Williams beat Olga Govortsova 7-5 6-0 in the World Group II tie indoors at Worcester, Massachusetts.
Australian Open champion Azarenka will be eligible to face Williams, if she responds to treatment, in the first match of the reverse singles on Sunday. A doubles match is also scheduled for Sunday.
Williams has been hampered by an injured ankle that she sustained before the Australian Open, but said it was improving.
"It's feeling fine," she said. "I'm surprised as how well it's doing considering. I'm actually really excited about the progress."
Comment 13 - 32 of 32
@31 Con
I would imagine that both bobby and Dave would get on well, and have a real ball bouncing gay time together ;)
@ 27 Nicholas,
bobby can't drop in mate.
He's too busy playing with Landmines.
The adrenaline just goes to his head.
He uses Eurosport for Stress release!
@ Dizzy, Watson took 1 game off Azarenka but Shara only managed 3 and Robson is still at school. Imagine how good she'll be in a couple of years.
Comment 16, Nicholarsehole, I have just one user name, pathetic you certainly are.
Well Done Team GB!
bobby I live near the Thames, drop in some time .)
@ Dizzy
You really are dizzy and deluded because now you say you are not denying the Brits have improved yet earlier you WERE denying that they have improved. You should really go for that walk now to clear your head, it will do you a great deal of good honestly ;)
Jelena Jankovic is a former number one alright. But that's a long time ago now and she routinely does very little in the slams now. Indeed, she has not managed a semi-final since the French in 2010. Was it really that much for Robson to take more than a measly two games of her? Jankovic was convinviincingly defeated by Wozniacki who is hardly a real world-beater herself and never does it in slams. Fair enough, Watson had a tough match but Baltacha lost to a Foretz-Gacon. That's hardly great going. I'm not denying they have improved. Five years ago, they were nowhere. All I'm saying is that you need to put it in context.
@ Dizzy you're the delusional person if you seriously expected any Brit other than Murray to make it into the 2nd round of the Aus Open, especially regarding Watson and Robson who were up against the eventual champion and a former world number 1 respectively.
I suggest you go for a walk to clear that dizzy and deluded head of yours ;)
Therre are always going to be the 'knockers' of our tennis players, and I know that the ladies all went out early in the AO, but they do fight when they get a chance. If all we do is keep on knocking them then what is the point of them playing for us? It's the same with the Calcutta Cup on Saturday when, completely the reverse of what was forecast, we beat the Scots with a very new side. They showed commitment and fighting qualities and with luck will go on to gain in confidence and playing ability. GOOD LUCK TO ALL OUR PLAYERS WHOEVER THEY ARE!
S
You're delusional Robert. Baltacha, Keothavong, Robson. Do me a favour. Australian open 2012 results:
Victoria Azarenka bt. Heather Watson 6-1 6-0
Jelena jankovic bt. Laura Robson 6-2 6-0
Mona Barthel bt. Anne Keothavong 6-0 rtd.
Stephanie Foretz-Gacon bt. Elena Baltacha 6-4 6-2
British tennis is on the up. Yes, it shows, doesn't it?
As for the junior circuit, it means next to nothing. Have a look at the people who have won majors in juniors over 15 years. Very few have emerged to be really successful at the pinnacle of the game. Yes, six players qualified in Australia but only Murray won a match.
@ Dizzy
What you are saying is b0ll0cks, British tennis is on the up and has been for the past couple of years now. Watson and Robson have achieved major success on the junior circuit and have both qualified for the main draw in majors already at a young age and there are a number of young British male players achieving success on the junior circuit who have the potential to make it on the ATP tour. Murray is getting closer and closer to becoming a grand slam winner and in Australia there were 6 players from this island who made the main draw of a grand slam outside of Wimbledon for the first time in 20 years. Those are the facts.
The LTA use the players they have , this is the standard we have to play in, we dont have world class players. what we do have is the best in Britain.. just like all the other sports in britain. other countries have better, other countries have worse. and as for Andy Murray , Britain would never get noticed if he was not playing tennis. and I dont think the LTA had much do do with his development.
@ Con & Nicholas; it certainly appears that the hospital made a monumental mistake with you pair of fools :)
Dave is very crude in his language and lacks intellectual subtlety in advancing his point of view. He is essentially using a sledgehammer to crack a peanut, but deep down, he actually has a point. Not one of these British girls made it past round one of the Australian open only weeks ago. The fact is that this is a really appalling standard of tennis by top world standards. You look at Azarenka v Sharapova and you are almost looking at a different sport when you use that as a reference point and compare it to this thrash. By all means, support them but don't throw in "Judy's worked wonders" or "british tennis on the up" because it's bóllócks. People can, of course, choose to alllow patriotic fervour to mask what one actually perceives as the unescapable truth and pretend that this is a really amazing achievement. Or people can be pragmatic and say it's a hell of achievement given that the players are useless as evidenced by all four losing in the first round of the Australian open.
This is good progress for team GB, let's hope they can make it into WG II for next year.
Oh dear Con we seem to have upset Dave from Maidenhead so much its using a number of its moronic user names to vote itself up. How pathetic is that lol? ;)
Con @13 Hospital?? More likely a squat or more likely the prison maternity unit.
A new proverb - So the mother so the son,congratulation !! It seems that Judy is a great tennis manager!Murray is a great player and I hope he will at least break Rafa this year!Regards from Serbia !!
@8.
Hi Con but why use the word probably?
From Nicholas, on Sat 4 Feb 8:41PM
Well, you know, hospitals sometimes make mistakes and mix babies up :)
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