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Fed Cup win for Brits

Image: Keothavong: straight sets win

Great Britain are on course to qualify for the Fed Cup Europe/Africa Zone promotion play-offs after beating Holland 3-0.

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Luxembourg up next in Group A

Great Britain are on course to qualify for the Fed Cup Europe/Africa Zone promotion play-offs after beating Holland 3-0. Following an impressive 3-0 victory over Hungary on day one in Tallinn, Estonia, Elena Baltacha and Anne Keothavong again won their singles matches to give Britain a 2-0 advantage. British number three Baltacha opened proceedings with a 6-2 6-4 victory over Michelle Gerards. It was the Dutchwoman who broke first but Baltacha reeled off five games in a row to take the opening set and then got the better of five successive breaks of serve in the second to seal victory. British number one Keothavong also won in straight sets, seeing off 18-year-old Arantxa Rus 6-4 6-4. Keothavong, ranked 54th in the world, got the decisive break in the fifth game of the first set then broke again in the ninth game of the second, wrapping up the win with a confident service hold. Keothavong returned to the court partnering Sarah Borwell, with the pair beating Nicole Thyssen and Pauline Wong 6-4 6-0 to give Britain a second successive whitewash.

Emphatic

Captain Nigel Sears told the Lawn Tennis Association website: "It was really important to back up yesterday's win over Hungary with another good result today and I'm pleased with another emphatic victory. "It's a good feeling to be leading the group after two days but we know we still have work to do if we are going to top the group and gain a place in the semi-finals. "The team is in great shape and we are looking forward to tomorrow's match against Luxembourg." Britain now need only to beat Luxembourg to top Group A and book their place in the promotion play-offs on Saturday, where they would meet another group winner. The winner of that qualifies for the World Group II play-offs in April.