Great Britain have faced a defeat by Turkey in the Fed Cup qualifying competition in Budapest. Konta lost 6-3, 7-6 (8/6) to teenager Ipek Soylu and British No 1 Watson was unable to save the day for the team as she slipped to a 6-2, 3-6, 7-5 defeat by Cagla Buyukakcay.. Anna Smith and Jocelyn Rae won their doubles match against Basak Eraydin and Pemra Ozgen 6-2 6-1. GB must beat Ukraine on Friday to top their group and set up a play-off on Saturday to get through to the 16-team World Group II play-offs. Both Johanna Konta and Heather Watson were ranked significantly higher than their opponents in the singles but neither could post a win.
Team captain Judy Murray is targeting a decisive victory against Ukraine in order to recover the damage. She said: “The Turkish girls really raised their level. But they were both winnable matches for us.
“Jo had two set points in the second set and didn’t manage to get them. Perhaps if she’d got that set she might have managed to find a way to pull the win out.
“Heather did a good job after a slow start and just fell away at the end. I know she was very disappointed to lose that match.
“If we win 3-0 tomorrow against Ukraine we will win the group, which has to be our goal.”
Victoria Azarenka made her belated Fed Cup comeback after missing the first day due to luggage being lost containing her kit and rackets. The last time the former world No 1 was seen in the red and green of Belarus was atop the podium at London 2012 with a gold medal draped around her neck after she and Max Mirnyi had beaten the British pair of Andy Murray and Laura Robson in the Olympic mixed doubles final. Yesterday was a more mundane affair but the two-time Australian Open champion grafted to a 6-3, 2-6, 7-5 victory over the tricky Tsvetana Pironkova as Belarus defeated Bulgaria 3-0 and head into their final Pool C match versus Portugal with two wins from two and a perfect 6-0 record in rubbers.
Tennis Fed Cup: Britain's women lose, Azarenka comes back
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