GB ‘give everything but come up short’ as US reach BJK Cup final

After falling to the United States in the Billie Jean King Cup semi-finals, Captain Anne Keothavong claimed that her Great Britain team “threw everything at it but came out the other side” but fell short.

After Sonay Kartal’s battling with Emma Navarro in the first singles match, Katie Boulter had to defeat world number seven Jessica Pegula to keep Britain in the lead.

However, Pegula rallied after Boulter’s first set ended up winning by 3-6, 6-4, and 6-2 in Shenzhen, making it her 31st final appearance for Lindsay Davenport’s team.

In two tight matches, Boulter and Kartal, who lost to Navarro, a player who was ranked more than 60 places above her, were left to rue their missed chances.

Both players lost service games either side of breaks, inviting pressure back on themselves, and both players left numerous break points in the second and third sets unconverted. Boulter only won two of those.

“It’s really tough today,” Keothavong said. The players should continue to raise their voices. We really understood the American team, in my opinion.

You could see how important it was for the players, they said. They attempted everything, but they failed.

“This wasn’t going to be this time,” he said.

In Sunday’s final, the US will face defending champions Italy, who has won 18 titles in the competition’s history.

In the last four years, Great Britain has lost three of its semi-final matches, but their most recent final appearance was in 1981.

“We’ve come a long way,” Keothavong continued. In recent years, we’ve consistently challenged the best.

Boulter, who had previously defeated Pegula in the 2024 United Cup, had a promising record when representing Great Britain, and a record-breaking 18th victory in her nation came after comfortably winning the opening set.

The 29-year-old broke her opponent’s serve twice, winning 13 of her 15 first-serve points, and saving the only break point she faced.

However, her standard dropped in the second set, with four double errors leading to consecutive service game losses. Even though she responded to the first, Pegula continued to force a decision-making.

Boulter lost three straight service games to Pegula, who converted her first match point to send US through, but the third set ended in a frustratingly similar manner.

World number 55 Boulter said, “I actually expect myself to win those matches, which is why those matches hurt more.”

That is a positive thing, they say. It indicates my current level.

World No. 82 Kartal had a fantastic year, most notably reaching the fourth round at Wimbledon, and she was hoping to win against a player in the top 20 of the year.

She won 89 points, matching American world number 18 Navarro, despite the disparity in their rankings.

However, it was crucial for Navarro’s composure, who saved two match points against Kazakhstan in the quarter-finals, to save two break points in the third set’s opening game.

Kartal won the first set after losing her opening service game, dominating the baseline transitions, utilizing her athleticism, the court’s full width, and turning in all three of her break points. When she nailed a smashing winner to finish the set in style with a hold-to-love, her confidence was on full display.

In the second set, she broke twice more but became increasingly error-prone, with Navarro forcing her to turn in the final set before pinning her on her second set point.

The American won eight straight points to take a 5-2 lead before Kartal was unable to plan a comeback of her own after surviving a scare early in the final set.

Keothavong could not have hoped for more from Kartal and Boulter.

In the two decisive sets, they threw everything at two higher-ranked Americans, who ended up being only marginally worse. They both displayed sharper execution and greater staying power.

Boulter has a difficult season, but he played this week with conviction and confidence. She hopes to win the WTA Tour, which will be held in Asia for the final six weeks of the season.

This team is doing a lot right, especially since they haven’t had any top-20 singles players or a tried-and-true doubles partnership to call on, with three semi-finals coming in four years and number two in the Billie Jean King Cup rankings.

They will be a team that can’t be messed with, despite the fact that they may never be favorites for competition if Emma Raducanu can also make herself available.