Raducanu's physical frailties strike again as GB lose BJK Cup tie to Czechs

Emma Raducanu suffered significant blister issues on her right foot as Great Britain's hopes of qualifying for the Billie Jean King Cup finals ended in a gutsy 3-2 defeat to the Czech Republic.

Raducanu's 6-1 6-1 loss to Marketa Vondrousova in only 62 minutes meant Britain went 2-1 down, before Harriet Dart sent the tie into a deciding doubles rubber with a 6-0 5-7 6-2 victory against 16-year-old debutant Linda Fruhvirtova.

Captain Anne Keothavong named Dart in her doubles line-up along with Katie Swan, while the Czechs went with Vondrousova and Karolina Muchova.

Dart and Swan battled to overcome a poor start, fighting back from 1-4 in the second set to level, but Vondrousova and Muchova clinched a 6-1 7-5 victory to give the Czechs a passage through to November's finals.

Britain could yet join the Czechs if the Lawn Tennis Association is successful in its bid to host the event.

Raducanu made her debut in the competition on Friday and was victorious in her first professional match on clay as she beat Tereza Martincova 7-5 7-5, but Saturday's contest was a different story for the 19-year-old.

In extremely cold conditions, Raducanu struggled from early on and lost the first set in just 26 minutes. The medical timeout between sets to receive treatment on her right foot did little to ease her issues.

The British No 1 was barely able to move for several balls in the second set, wincing and limping between points.

Raducanu said of the blister: "It kind of showed up after yesterday's match. We've been managing it but as you saw I couldn't really move or load either way and now it's just about trying to get it better as soon as possible.

"It completely stopped me from moving. It's tough not to be even able to chase the ball.