Emma Raducanu gets reality check as Britain lose Billie Jean King Cup tie

In a simple sport usually contested head-to-head with only two individuals involved, the nuances of team tennis competitions so often lend themselves to unpredictability and chaos. Such drama unfolded freely on a cold afternoon in Prague as Great Britain fought admirably to push the Czech Republic all the way to an unlikely deciding fifth rubber in the Billie Jean King Cup qualifiers before finally losing 3-2.

The second day opened with Marketa Vondrousova picking Emma Raducanu apart 6-1, 6-1 as the Brit struggled with foot blisters in the second half of the match. But the unproven 16-year-old Linda Fruhvirtova was chosen to face Harriet Dart, a shocking decision that Dart took full advantage of, eventually closing out the victory 6-0, 5-7, 6-2. The home nation clinched the deciding doubles as Vondrousova and Karolina Muchova outclassed Dart and Katie Swan 6-1, 7-5.

Despite Raducanu admirably grinding through Tereza Martincova in her first pro clay court match, the sheer quality produced by Vondrousova this weekend, whose level was far above anyone else in Prague, was a true reality check to the demands of top-level clay court tennis for the US Open champion. Throughout their hour on court, Vondrousova soaked up Raducanu’s attempts to attack with her supreme defence, she pulled Raducanu off the court with angles and peppered her with delicate drop shots.

After the first set, Raducanu took a medical timeout for a blister on her foot and she struggled to move until the end. She said the blisters began to affect her after her first match on Friday. “It was compromising every shot I had to play,” she said. “It’s very disappointing when you’re out there playing a rubber for your country and you feel completely redundant. But