Rome, Sept. 18 (LaPresse) – The last quarterfinal of the Billie Jean King Cup Finals ended with Great Britain’s victory, as they defeated Japan 2-0—who were seeking their first semifinal since 1996—thanks to singles wins by Sonay Kartal and Katie Boulter over Ena Shibahara and Moyuka Uchijima. Great Britain, second in the nations ranking, its best-ever position, aims for its first Billie Jean King Cup title. So far, they have reached four finals, losing in 1967 (to the USA), 1971 (Australia), 1972 (South Africa), and 1981 (USA). In Shenzhen, they will play their third semifinal in the past four years, after reaching the final four in 2022 (lost to Australia) and 2024 (beaten by Slovakia). On Saturday, the British team will face the USA in a challenging semifinal. The top two American singles players, Jessica Pegula and Emma Navarro, ranked No. 7 and 18 in the world respectively, hold far higher rankings than Britain's No. 1, Katie Boulter, who is No. 55 in the WTA.
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