Boulter powers GB into Billie Jean King Cup semi-finals as Kartal seals win over Japan

Great Britain moved into the Billie Jean King Cup semi-finals after sweeping Japan with a 2-0 win in Shenzhen, as Katie Boulter defeated Moyuka Uchijima 6-2, 6-1 and Sonay Kartal beat Ena Shibahara 6-3, 7-6 (7-4). With Emma Raducanu unavailable for singles, Boulter led the charge for Anne Keothavong's side, who will meet the United States on Saturday in the push to win the women's team event for the first time.

Boulter was dominant from the start, delivering aggressive baseline play and converting opportunities at key moments. The nation's leading singles player in Shenzhen, she won 70% of first-serve points and secured the first break in the fifth game of the opening set before racing through the rest of the frame. She carried that momentum into the second, breaking at the outset and sealing a comprehensive 6-1 win as Uchijima struggled to find a reply.

Kartal, world number 82 and a Wimbledon fourth-round debutant this summer, followed with a sharp, controlled display against Shibahara. She opened with back-to-back breaks to surge into a 4-0 lead in the opening set. Shibahara recovered to 4-3, but Kartal steadied the ship with a hold to love to close the opener. The second set was tighter, with Shibahara pushing to 4-4 and Kartal fending off a late break-point chance, before she dominated the tie-break to win the match and seal the tie for Britain.

Kartal has won all three of her Billie Jean King Cup ties since making her debut this year and has been a consistent presence in Keothavong’s lineup as Britain chase their first women’s team title. The 4th-round Wimbledon run earlier in the summer underscored her rising form and helped give Britain confidence heading into the knockout stage.

Their performances helped Britain reach the last four and set up a meeting with the United States on Saturday. Britain had qualified earlier in the year for the knockout stage, and this marks another opportunity to secure a first Billie Jean King Cup trophy after losing in four finals. The team’s progress this week reinforces Anne Keothavong’s plan to lean on a rising group of players as Raducanu remains absent from singles duty and the squad looks to translate the Shenzhen momentum into a deep run in the event.

As Britain turned attention to the semi-final, the squad’s depth and the momentum generated by Boulter and Kartal were highlighted by their captain and teammates. The clash against the United States will test Britain against one of the sport’s strongest teams, but today’s results provided a clear reaffirmation of Britain’s recent growth and resilience in international team competition.