Team GB too strong for Slovenia

Great Britain boosted their chances of reaching the World Group II play-offs by easing past Slovenia on Wednesday.

Katie Boulter got proceedings off to a positive start for Great Britain by claiming a straight sets 6-4 6-2 victory over Kaja Juvan.

The world number 83 was making her singles debut in the Fed Cup but looked more than comfortable as she dominated her rubber.

She raced to victory in just one hour two minutes in front of a sell-out crowd at the University of Bath’s Sports Training Village.

Boulter said: “Being here is quite tremendous. Everyone showed so much support out there.

“I had a great team around me to help me with those nerves and put me in the right place mentally.”

Johanna Konta, who is priced at 51.00 to win the French Open, was made to work harder in the second rubber of the day but she saved three set points in a tense first-set tie-break.

The world number 39 went on to win 7-6 (9-7) 6-2 to put Great Britain into an unassailable lead, before Harriet Dart and Katie Swan made it a clean sweep with victory in the doubles rubber.

“What I tried to draw on is vast experiences – it’s not the first time I’ve been down in a tie-break or down in a set,” Konta told BBC Sport.

“I tried to stay calm because there was every reason for me to be calm. I thought I was competing well. I just tried to trust that more than anything else.”

Great Britain go up against Greece in their next Group A match on Thursday as they look to reach the World Group II play-offs for a third consecutive year.