Emma Raducanu defeats German star in perfect start for Britain at BJK Cup finals

Emma Raducanu saw disconnected Jule Niemeier 6-4 6-4 arsenic Great Britain won their archetypal clash against Germany astatine the Billie Jean King Cup finals connected Friday.

The 22-year-old, playing her archetypal lucifer successful 2 months aft recovering from a ft injury, has enactment Britain 1-0 up earlier Katie Boulter faces Laura Siegemund.

Raducanu moved up successful the seventh crippled of the archetypal acceptable with the opening interruption of the match, overmuch to the delight of the British fans retired successful Malaga, who could beryllium seen waving Union Flags and loudly cheering for the 22-year-old star.

She was heard letting retired a roar aft hitting a rocket instrumentality – and that firmly enactment the occurrence successful Niemeier’s belly – with the German satellite No.92 forcing satellite No.58 Raducanu to prevention a whopping 5 interruption points successful a hard-fought crippled eight.

Raducanu was capable to fend disconnected each 5 of them and her sole interruption was capable for her to spot retired the archetypal acceptable 6-4, having impressed with her serving, registering 7 aces to her opponent’s zero, and making acold little unforced errors too.

Niemeier needed to travel retired warring astatine the commencement of the 2nd acceptable but it lone got worse for the German arsenic Raducanu secured an aboriginal interruption with an unthinkable instrumentality – squeezing the shot down the enactment – to instrumentality steadfast power of their showdown.

A momentum displacement followed arsenic Niemeier yet broke backmost to level up the 2nd acceptable but it didn’t past agelong arsenic she fired into the nett for Raducanu to registry her 3rd interruption of the match, moving 4-2 up.

There was a nervy decorativeness for Raducanu, though, who enactment unit connected herself by wasting 5 lucifer points earlier yet getting the occupation done 6-4 6-4.

Former British No.1 Lucie Ahl, who watched the lucifer connected commentary duties for the BBC, praised Raducanu for her show against Niemeier.

‘Emma Raducanu has got to beryllium beauteous pleased with that opening set,’ Ahl said. ‘She saved 5 retired of 5 interruption points. Excellent serving from her.

‘[She produced an] unbelievable instrumentality [early successful the 2nd acceptable to break]. Such bully timing there. Emma Raducanu is starting to instrumentality truly well.’

Raducanu’s triumph implicit Niemeier means Britain person a 1-0 pb against Germany successful the past 16 of the Billie Jean King Cup finals with 2 much matches to follow.

British No.1 Boulter takes connected Siegemund successful the 2nd singles lucifer earlier Heather Watson and Olivia Nicholls are successful doubles enactment against Anna-Lena Friedsam and Tatjana Maria successful the 3rd and last scheduled meeting.

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