Emma Raducanu and Katie Boulter posted straight-sets wins over defending champion Canada at the Billie Jean King Cup Finals on Sunday, sending Great Britain into the semifinals of the prestigious team event in Malaga, Spain.

Raducanu gave the Brits a 1-0 lead in their quarterfinal tie, holding off Rebecca Marino 6-0, 7-5 in 89 minutes.

"It was an incredibly difficult match because the dynamics were so different in each of the sets," 2021 US Open champion Raducanu said on court after her win. "In the second set, Rebecca really upped her level."

Boulter then followed with a 6-2, 6-4 victory over Leylah Fernandez, clinching her squad's spot in the semifinals with an insurmountable 2-0 advantage. Boulter took 1 hour and 41 minutes to topple Fernandez, who was the US Open runner-up to Raducanu in 2021.

Great Britain will now take on 2002 champions Slovakia in the Final Four. The Slovaks posted a 2-0 quarterfinal win over Australia earlier on Sunday.

Great Britain is a four-time Billie Jean King Cup finalist, but they are still searching for their first title at the prestigious team event. 

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Raducanu was unstoppable in her opening set on Sunday, where she won all 12 of her first-service points. She claimed the one-set lead in less than half an hour.

But big-serving 33-year-old Marino, who just won her biggest career title at the WTA 125 event in Midland, Michigan, made a strong charge in the second set and held four break points for a 5-3 lead.

Raducanu, though, served her way out of danger in that crucial 12-minute game, keeping herself level at 4-4. The 22-year-old was rewarded for her grit at 5-5, where she used incredible defense and a passing winner to erase a game point, then broke serve with a powerful return.

Serving for the 1-0 advantage, Raducanu romped to triple match point. She double faulted on the first, and Marino cranked a winning forehand on the second, but the third time was the charm when Marino sent a crosscourt backhand just wide.

"I’m very pleased with how I managed to fend off my own break points, and then sneak that break at 5-5 and close it out," Raducanu said.

More to come...