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Captain Anne Keothavong said her Great Britain side “threw everything at it but came up short” after a 2-0 loss to the United States in the Billie Jean King Cup semi-finals extended their wait for a maiden title. <\/b><\/p>\n
Katie Boulter needed to beat world number seven Jessica Pegula to keep Britain in the tie after a battling Sonay Kartal lost to Emma Navarro in the first singles match. <\/p>\n
But after Boulter took the first set, Pegula fought back to win 3-6 6-4 6-2 in Shenzhen and secure a 31st appearance in the final for Lindsay Davenport’s team. <\/p>\n
Boulter and Kartal – who lost 3-6 6-4 6-3 to Navarro, a player ranked more than 60 places above her – were left to rue missed chances in two tight matches. <\/p>\n
Both players left multiple break points unconverted in the second and third sets – Boulter only won two out of seven – and lost service games either side of breaks to invite pressure back on themselves. <\/p>\n
“It’s really tough today,” Keothavong said. “The players should still hold their heads high. I think we really took it to the American team. <\/p>\n
“You could see how much it meant to the players. They threw everything at it but came up short.<\/p>\n
“It wasn’t to be this time.”<\/p>\n
The US, the most successful team in the competition’s history with 18 titles, will face defending champions Italy in Sunday’s final.<\/p>\n
Great Britain have lost in the semi-finals three times in the past four years while their most recent final appearance came in 1981.<\/p>\n
“We’ve come such a long way,” Keothavong added. “We’ve showed consistency in recent years, challenging the very best.<\/p>\n
“Our ambition is to lift that trophy one day. To lift that trophy, you’ve got to beat some of the best.”<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
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