GB captain: Emma Raducanu will be fit for Billie Jean King Cup
- Planet Sport writer
- 10 October 2022
GB captain Anne Keothavong is confident Emma Raducanu will be ready for the Billie Jean King Cup Finals in Glasgow despite worries about a wrist injury.
The British number one has ended her WTA Tour season because of the problem, pulling out of tournaments in Romania and Mexico, but no decision has yet been made about the 12-country event, which begins on November 8 at the Emirates Arena.
Raducanu made her debut in the tournament in April's qualifier against the Czech Republic, beating Tereza Martincova but losing heavily to Marketa Vondrousova amid more struggles with blisters.
Keothavong is confident she will be ready.
"I was literally on the phone to her this morning at the airport," said Keothavong.
"We have the benefit of time on our side. The Billie Jean King Cup Finals isn't for another month.
"She's doing her best to rest up and recover and she's got a rehab programme in place. We'll just have to see how it goes and she's got to manage it and look after herself, which is the most important thing.
"I know she really wants to be part of this team, she had a great experience when we were in Prague. That's great when you've got your top player who is saying all the right things."
The 19-year-old is joined in the team by Harriet Dart, Katie Boulter and Heather Watson, with a fifth player to be added at a later date.
Britain will take on Kazakhstan and Spain in group matches at the World Cup-style event, with the winner of the pool going through to the semi-finals.
Despite losing to the Czechs, they were awarded a place in the finals as host nation, elevating them to the top level of the tournament for the first time since 1993.
