Katie Boulter victory puts Great Britain ahead in play-off

Katie Boulter’s hard-fought victory over Kajsa Rinaldo Persson granted Great Britain a 2-1 lead in their Billie Jean King Cup play-off against Sweden.

The surprising defeat handed to Jodie Burrage by the relatively low-ranked Swedish player put Britain on edge during her debut on Saturday.

However, the British number one, Katie Boulter, managed to escape the same fate on Sunday, securing a challenging 6-1 7-6 (7-5) victory.

Boulter’s commendable performance places Britain in a favorable position to win the play-off if they succeed in the next singles rubber.

Burrage was initially slated to face Caijsa Hennemann in the upcoming match, but captain Anne Keothavong decided to replace the British number two with Harriet Dart.

If the match remains undecided after the next singles rubber, it will proceed to a deciding doubles match, with the victor advancing to the qualifying round for the 2024 Finals.

The defeated side will move to the lower European/African zone, a familiar territory for Great Britain, after spending 26 years there before securing promotion in 2019.

Boulter seized an early break at Rinaldo Persson’s first service game, dominating with a 3-1 lead. Despite the pressure from the Swede, Boulter saved two break points to maintain the momentum on her side, eventually securing the set.

Having exchanged breaks at the beginning of the second set, Rinaldo Persson broke at 4-3 but faltered when attempting to level the match, missing four set points and dropping serve. Boulter held her nerve, forcing a tie-break and emerging victorious, much to the delight of the supportive crowd.

More to follow.