Great Britain's Billie Jean King Cup captain Anne Keothavong excited at prospect of having another shot at qualifying for the 12-team finals event in 2022, saying: "We came into this competition with high expectations and the players delivered"
Monday 19 April 2021 10:12, UK
Great Britain captain Anne Keothavong said she was "proud" of her team after they moved a step closer to competing in the 2022 Billie Jean King Cup Finals.
Keothavong challenged Britain's female players to start achieving their potential after Katie Boulter starred in their victory over Mexico.
Boulter won two matches to secure a 3-1 victory in the behind-closed-doors play-off at the National Tennis Centre in Roehampton, maintaining Britain's place at the elite level of the competition formerly known as Fed Cup.
The victory sends Britain through to a first-round match next February, where they will have another shot at qualifying for the 12-team finals event.
"It's a special feeling at this stage of the competition to get a win," said Anne Keothavong.
"As a team we haven't been in this position too many times before, so we had to take this opportunity. We came into this competition with high expectations and the players delivered.
"We prepared for this event as best as possible, there was a great team spirit in the camp, and I'm just proud of all of them for getting the job done."
Boulter is one of nine British women in the world's top 300 but only Johanna Konta and Heather Watson are inside 100, with Harriet Dart and Francesca Jones between 100 and 200.
Keothavong believes her squad of players all have the capability and belief to achieve a lot more, saying: "I've got a lot of belief in our players. The players who were part of the team this week, I think every single one of them has the potential to be in the world's top 100 but it's going to take a lot.
"For those who aren't quite there yet, they need to be able to take responsibility of their own tennis. There are no shortcuts but a lot of people believe in them and they need to find that belief within themselves as well.
"No blaming others. There are lots of people who can provide the support if they need it. It's there for them, they just need to grab the opportunities and get on with it and not allow themselves to be distracted by unnecessary things."
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