Emma Raducanu ended a decades-long jinx for Britain’s women with a spectacular performance, surely her finest since the 2021 US Open final, to defeat Diane Parry in front of a raucous French crowd.

Great Britain’s Victory

The win wrapped up Great Britain’s stunning and unexpected 3-1 victory over France – the sixth-ranked team in this competition – and sends them on to November’s Billie Jean King Cup finals in Seville.

Historic Qualification

This is the first time that the Brits have qualified for the new-look finals week on merit, even if they earned a wild card in 2022 by virtue of hosting the competition in Glasgow. For the last comparable showing, you would have to go back to 1990, when a team featuring Jo Durie and Clare Wood lost to Austria in the quarter-finals.

Raducanu's Triumph

“I don’t know who said Brits can’t play on clay,” said a triumphant Raducanu after her 4-6, 6-1, 7-6 win, which occupied fully 2hr 52min. “But today was a bit of a test of it that [showed] we can.”

Impressive Performance

It’s hard to know what was more impressive: the technical level of Raducanu’s tennis throughout, the endurance that she showed by staging her second comeback win from a set down in as many days, or the mental steel that saw her bounce back from missing two match points in her penultimate service game.

Grand Finale

Suffice to say, this was a magnificent occasion and ended in a grand finale when Raducanu dominated the final set tie-break with a flawless series of points, landing every first serve and producing some magical returns to boot.

She has never played in an atmosphere like this before, with at least two-and-a-half thousand French fans barracking her in a venue that is justly named Le Chaudron (The Cauldron). But she channelled the negative energy into her strokeplay, finding deep reserves of energy and inspiration when she needed them most.

Significance of the Victory

The significance of this result should not be underestimated, for Great Britain have not defeated another grand-slam nation in the BJK Cup (formerly the Fed Cup) since 1981, when Sue Barker and Virginia Wade filled the singles spots. For much of the 1990s and early 2000s, the team was stuck in the second or even third tier of the competition alongside minnows like Armenia or Egypt.

Celebrating with Teammates

“I’m very happy to make it to the Finals,” Raducanu said after her win, “and I think that after all those tries, we deserve it on our own merit.”

Team Support

She also made a point of crediting her team-mate Katie Boulter, who had scored a 7-5, 6-0 win over Clara Burel earlier in the day to register her first-ever Tour-level victory on clay.

• Katie did a great job this morning and it helped so much going into this match, knowing that we were 2-1. In the worst-case scenario it goes to a deciding doubles. But I didn’t want to get to that point, obviously, because they have one of the best, probably the best doubles team in the world.

French Team's Performance

The French came in with the higher ranking, the home advantage, and the greater expertise on clay. But they also have a reputation for flakiness. On this occasion, that extended to a curious decision from captain Julien Benneteau to drop their best player in favor of Burel, who had only played one previous singles match in the competition.

Conclusion

This was a remarkable achievement for Great Britain's women's tennis, marking a significant step forward in their international success. Raducanu's performance was outstanding, showcasing her talent, determination, and mental strength. The team's victory over France is a testament to their hard work and dedication, and they now look forward to competing in the Billie Jean King Cup finals in Seville.