Konta & Co hope for more home comforts
Jo KoNTA’S dramatic clinching of a Fed Cup playoff spot will spark the usual search for a suitable venue over the Easter weekend if Great Britain get a home tie.
The draw for the next stage of what is still a ludicrously complex competition takes place tomorrow, with a slightly better than even chance of Anne Keothavong’s team being given choice of venue.
After the success of Bath pulling in more than 15,000 spectators, the Lawn Tennis Association will go for a bigger venue if they can, with the favourite very much the Copper Box in London’s olympic Park. The Bolton Arena would be an outside candidate, but the east London venue is available and could host 5,000 spectators for tennis.
As ever, the problem is trying to find somewhere at short notice, but fan demand is likely to be high after four days of drama in Bath that, once again, underlined the appeal of international team competitions. What will be a straight promotion playoff match will take place on April 20 and 21, with two singles on the Saturday and two singles and a doubles on the Sunday. Russia are among the potential opponents.
Win that and GB would be promoted to what is expected to be an expanded elite World Group of 16 nations next year.
LTA’s director of international events Stephen Farrow said: ‘The logistics are challenging because it’s a very short turnaround. There is a shortage of suitable indoor venues in the UK and they are often booked up a long time in advance.’
After battling to four straight wins Konta will next play in Acapulco, Indian Wells and the Miami open.
She clinched a 2-0 victory for GB, but only after a hiatus that followed the second set when the physical and mental stress of trying to win the tie saw her almost fall to the ground just outside the court. While the group format is an exhausting and pressurised format for players, the gap between sets was yet another example of how taking time out during matches is now a free-for-all.