By Ros Satar at the Copper Box Arena, London
- Great Britain play host to Kazakhstan as they bid to reach Fed Cup World Group II for the fifth time in the last eight years.
LONDON, ENGLAND – GB will look to the home crowd once more for inspiration as they bid to get out of the Europe/Africa Zone Group and join World Group II.
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Great Britain (currently ranked No. 15) might not have won a Fed Cup title, but they have reached the final on four occasions, finishing as runners-up (1967, 1970, 1972, 1981), and is on of only four nations to have competed in every Fed Cup competition.
READ MORE | Tennis | Fed Cup World Group II Play-Off | Great Britain confirm a strong line-up for the Play-off
In recent years, GB has agonisingly fallen at this stage five times in the last eight years. A win here would mean Great Britain would return to the elite World Group level for the first time in 26 years.
Standing in their way, of course are the No, 19 ranked Kazakhstan, whose best fed Cup performances came in 2013 and 2017, when they reached the play-off stages. Prior to 1993, Kazakhstan players played under the USSR flag. A win this weekend would put them into World Group II for the first time.
How they got here
Great Britain were flawless in Bath earlier this year. They defeated Slovenia, Greece and Hungary before a dramatic conclusion against Serbia to earn their place at this weekend’s play-off. Johanna Konta and Katie Boulter won all their singles rubbers to help GB secure their victory.
Since 2012, GB has won more ties than any other nation in the group stages, winning 27 of 32 and are currently on a 14-tie unbeaten run under Anne Keothavong’s captaincy in the group stage (2017-2019).
Kazakhstan were no less impressive – they defeated Thailand and India without losing a rubber on home soil and defeated China in the promotional play-off. Zarina Diyas was the team’s talisman, winning the opening singles rubber in all three ties. They gave won 9 out of 11 ties, losing only to Canada (2017) and Japan (2018)
This will be the first time GB has faced Kazakhstan
The Tie
| Saturday 20 April | 1:30pm BST |
| Johanna Konta | Zarina Diyas |
| Katie Boulter | Yulia Putintseva |
| Sunday 21 April | 12pm |
| Johanna Konta | Yulia Putinseva |
| Katie Boulter | Zarina Diyas |
| Harriet Dart / Heather Watson | Anna Danilina/Galina Voskoboeva |
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Team GB (Capt: Anne Keothavong)
Johanna Konta
Katie Boulter
Heather Watson
Harriet Dart
Katie Swan
Kazakhstan (Capt: Dias Doskarayev)
Yulia Putintseva
Zarina Diyas
Anna Danilina
Galina Voskoboeva
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