Britain pin hopes on Watson, Dart

TENNIS: Heather Watson and Harriet Dart will lead Great Britain’s bid to qualify for the inaugural Fed Cup finals when they take on Slovakia in a play-off next month.

British number one Johanna Konta had already announced she would not be playing in the tie on clay in Bratislava as she continues to work her way back from a knee problem.

And on Monday it was confirmed Katie Boulter, who was sidelined for six months by a back injury suffered in the last Fed Cup tie in April, had also made herself unavailable.

The victory over Kazakhstan sent Britain back to World Group level for the first time in 26 years only for a reorganisation of the competition to render it largely meaningless.

Anne Keothavong’s team must now defeat Slovakia in the tie on February 7-8 in order to book their spot at the 12-team finals in Budapest in April.

Keothavong said: “Naturally we are disappointed not to have Johanna Konta and Katie Boulter available for selection but we have some very exciting young players in our squad who are ecstatic to be part of this team and I’m sure will rise to the big occasion.”

Both Watson and Dart are at least in form, with the former having made the semi-finals of the Hobart International prior to a second-round appearance at the Australian Open.

Dart, who will make her singles debut, won four matches at Melbourne Park, coming through qualifying before pushing Wimbledon champion Simona Halep in the second round. The British team is completed by Katie Swan, 17-year-old Emma Raducanu and Naiktha Bains, who switched her allegiance back to Britain from Australia last year.