Great Britain will host Kazakhstan in April’s Fed Cup play-offs when they will be bidding to finally win promotion. Anne Keothavong’s team won all four ties without losing a rubber at last week’s Europe/Africa Zone I event – the third tier of the global team competition.
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Those matches in Bath were GB’s first at home for 26 years.
It didn’t take long for them to claim another home tie, with Tuesday’s draw in London handing them a winnable clash with the Kazakhs in the World Group II play-offs on April 20-21. Victory would see them promoted to the tournament’s second tier for 2020.
With home advantage, GB will likely start slight favourites to finally claim promotion. They have tried and failed at this play-off stage four times in the last seven years.
They currently have the highest-ranked singles player of the two nations as Johanna Konta is the world number 39.
Kazakhstan’s star is firebrand Yulia Putintseva, ranked 43rd. They also have Zarina Diyas at 96 – 13 places lower than British number two Katie Boulter.
Both teams are likely to have one top-100 doubles player in their five-woman team. Briton Heather Watson is ranked 45th and Galina Voskoboeva sits at 65.
Kazakhstan reached this stage by winning the Asia/Oceania Group I event, also on home soil. They defeated China 2-1 in the decisive tie to progress.
April’s tie, which is set to be held at the Copper Box Arena in London’s Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, will be a five-rubber affair consisting of two singles on the Saturday before the reverse singles and a potential doubles decider on the Sunday.
By drawing Kazakhstan, GB avoided trickier ties with Japan, who boast world number one Naomi Osaka in their ranks, and Italy.
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