Billie Jean King Cup gallery: Emma Raducanu and company prepare in Prague

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Emma Raducanu has been charged with leading Great Britain’s bid to reach the Billie Jean King Cup Finals for the first time.

Great Britain face the Czech Republic in Prague on 15 and 16 April.

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The British Billie Jean King Cup Team Sonay Kartal, Katie Swan, Harriet Dart, Emma Raducanu, Anne Keothavong, and Czech Team Petr Pala, Marketa Vondrousova, Tereza Martincova, Karolina Muchova, Marie Bouzkova, Linda Fruhvirtova.

Raducanu will be the on-court leader and reason for high hopes for Great Britain.

Emma Raducanu
Emma Raducanu has literally been working her toenails off to get ready for the all-important Billie Jean King Cup tie in Prague which will be played on clay.

Harriet Dart joins Raducanu as the second singles players for Great Britain.

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Harriet Dart of Great Britain poses for photographers during the lots drawn for Britain vs Czechia women’s tennis qualification matches of Billie Jean King Cup tournament, Czech Republic, April 14, 2022. Credit: Michal Kamaryt/CTK Photo/Alamy Live News

Katie Swan and Sonay Kartel team up as the doubles combination.

Billie Jean KIng Cup
From left Sonay Kartal, Katie Swan, of Great Britain and Czech Marie Bouzkova, Linda Fruhvirtova shake hands during the lots drawn for Britain vs Czechia women’s tennis qualification matches of Billie Jean King Cup tournament, Czech Republic, April 14, 2022. Credit: Michal Kamaryt/CTK Photo/Alamy Live News

Czech starlet Linda Fruhvirtova earned her maiden Bille Jean King Cup call-up for the tie against Great Britain.

Linda Fruhvirtova
Czech tennis starlet Linda Fruhvirtova received a late call-up prior the Billie Jean King Cup tournament playoff in Prague in the Czech Republic.

Fruhvirtova will team up with Marie Bouzkova as the Czech Republic’s doubles pairing.

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Tereza Martincova, Marketa Vondrousova, Petr Pala, Karolina Muchova, Marie Bouzkova and Linda Fruhvirtova carry the Billie Jean King Cup hopes of the Czech Republic.

Markéta Vondroušová will be eager to replicate her previous meeting with Harriet Dart in match one of the tie.

Billie Jean King Cup
Marketa Vondrousova will play the opening match of the Billie Jean King Cup tie between Czech Republic and Great Britain, facing Harriet Dart on Saturday 15 April.

Tereza Martincová will face Emma Raducanu in the second match of their tie.

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Prague, Czech Republic. 11th Apr, 2022. Czech tennis player Tereza Martincova in action during the training session prior to women’s tennis Billie Jean King Cup tournament: Czechia vs Britain at Stvanice tennis courts, Czech Republic, April 11, 2022. Credit: Vit Simanek/CTK Photo/Alamy Live News – Image ID: 2J41X9F

Anne Keothavong is Great Britain’s non-playing captain while the Czech Republic have entrusted the duties to Petr Pala.

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Great Britain captain Anne Keothavong and Czech captain Petr Pala shake hands but they will be trying to plot one another’s downfall over the weekend.

The Czechs are without the services of World No 2 Barbora Krejcikova and No 7 Karolina Pliskova.

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The Czech Republic have three women in the WTA’s top 30 but World No 2 Barbora Krejcikova, No 7 Karolina Pliskova and No 28 Petra Kvitova are not available for the hosts. 

World No 12 Raducanu will be the highest-ranked singles player engaged in the tie with top Czech Vondrousova ranked 32nd.

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Much is expected of Emma Raducanu but the nature of the Billie Jean King Cup is that she can’t do it all herself and needs her teammates to step up as well.

However, the Czech No 2 Martincová heads into the tie as World No 50 while Dart is hovering just outside the top 100.

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The Czech Republic might be missing some big names but they will still be the favourites to take the tie and head into the Billie Jean King Cup finals.
Emma Raducanu Harriet Dart Linda Fruhvirtova

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