Konta and Co want 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 get the chance, 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 around 5,000 spectators. 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 play-off match will take place on April 20 and 21, with two singles on the Saturday and two singles and a doubles on the Sunday, with Russia amongst the potential opponents. Victory in 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.’ Konta clinched a 2-0 victory for GB against Serbia, but only after a hiatus that followed the second set when the exhausted Brit almost fell to the ground just outside the court.