"We all know she's a great talent" Anne Keothavong ahead of Raducanu's debut in the Billie Jean King Cup

Emma Raducanu received praise from Anne Keothavong ahead of her Billie Jean King Cup debut against the Czech Republic.

Great Britain is set to take on the Czech Republic in a qualifying tie, and the US Open champion is a member of the team for the first time. The 19-year-old made history when she won at Flushing Meadows without dropping a set last September, and Anne Keothavong hailed the incredible accomplishment that nobody could have predicted.

Speaking to Sky Sports she said:

"We've all known she's a great talent. She had a promising career ahead of her but I don't think anyone expected her to do what she did in New York so soon. I think it caught the whole of tennis by surprise and it's something that is a fantastic story and one that we should continue to celebrate because I'm not sure we'll see anything like that happen ever again."

Raducanu leads Great Britain’s side, followed by Harriet Dart, who made the last 16 at Indian Wells last month and Katie Swan, who has lost only one out of five previous Davis Cup matches. The team is completed by Sonay Kartal, who is making her debut at the event and comes into the tie in red-hot form, winning four of her last five ITF singles events – including two events on home soil in Birmingham and Glasgow.