Great Britain get Billie Jean King Cup reprieve... as event hosts

Great Britain will host the Billie Jean King Cup finals for the first time in 31 years, despite being knocked out of the event earlier this year.

The British women's tennis team, led by US Open champion Emma Raducanu, lost out to the Czech Republic in April. But the LTA's successful bid to host the tournament means they have been awarded an automatic place in the finals.

It will be the first time since 1993 that the British team will compete in the latter stages of the women's team event, formerly known as the Fed Cup. They join Australia, Belgium, Canada, Czech Republic, Italy, Kazakhstan, Poland, Spain, Slovakia, Switzerland and the United States in the finals.

"It's just the nature of the competition," British captain Anne Keothavong said of the circumstances around her team's promotion. "But the LTA put a fantastic bid in and as a team we're all very excited about the prospect of being able to showcase the very best of women's tennis in Glasgow. So we see it as an opportunity."

The finals will take place at the indoor Emirates Arena in Glasgow from November 8 to 13. The 12 teams will compete in four round robin groups of three, with the four group winners will then qualify for semi-finals.

The LTA's venue choice is an odd one, considering Glasgow will also play host to the group stages of the Davis Cup finals - the men's equivalent of the BJK Cup - in September.

LTA director of digital and major events Chris Pollard said the hope is that November's event will be the first of a three-year hosting gig for Great Britain, which will see it travel beyond Glasgow.

"It's a very, very fair question," Pollard said. "Our desire with the Davis Cup is to take that on a roadshow around Britain, that was a key part of our bid. Our