Emma Raducanu and Katie Boulter are becoming the next great British female double act - as they storm into Billie Jean King Cup semi-finals

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French and Saunders, Wood and Walters…Raducanu and Boulter? 

A British female double act is emerging here in Malaga as they fired their country into the semi-finals of the Billie Jean King Cup.

Emma softened Canada up with a body blow and Katie knocked them clean out. When Great Britain won the Davis Cup in 2015 it was a one man show from Andy Murray but so far on the Costa del Sol it has been a two-hander.

Anne Keothavong’s team are into the last four without dropping a set while every other nation has lost at least two. First Raducanu beat Rebecca Marino 6-0, 7-5 then Katie Boulter took down Leylah Fernandez 6-2, 6-4: these two are dovetailing beautifully. ‘Emma makes it very easy. Being 1-0 up, I can come out here and really go after it,’ said Boulter.

Skipper Keothavong added: ‘Katie was absolutely crunching the ball, it is devastating. It's a great position to go in when Emma sets the bar high. I couldn't be prouder of the girls. We're in it to win it.’

Boulter in particular was seriously impressive, demolishing a player who went unbeaten in leading Canada to the title last year. The world No24 loves these conditions and has dropped only nine games in her two matches so far. 

Emma Raducanu and Katie Boulter are emerging as British tennis' next special duo 

Other women at the top of the game move better than Boulter and have more variety, but put a ball in the slot and invite her to unleash and she is up there with world No1 Aryna Sabalenka.

GB are heavy favourites to beat Slovakia on Tuesday and advance to their first final since 1981, where they would meet either Italy or Poland – the two best teams in the competition. Handed a kind route here – a Gareth Southgate draw, if you will – they have taken care of business ruthlessly.

Raducanu began like someone with an early reservation at one of Malaga’s beachfront fish restaurants. In a 29-minute first set she filleted Marino then barbecued her over hot coals.

That win was impressive but expected; now Boulter’s match against Fernandez felt pivotal. With Canada’s formidable doubles specialist Gabriela Dabrowski waiting in the wings, one would not have fancied GB’s chances in a deciding rubber.

The 5ft 6in Fernandez, who Raducanu beat to win the 2021 US Open, grows another couple of inches in the red, white and maple leaf but Boulter just blasted her off the court.

Fernandez is a more subtle racketeer than Boulter but a fast indoor hard court is no place for subtlety. What is required are big serves, big forehands and big backhands and Boulter ticks all three boxes.

The 28-year-old looks as fit as she has ever done and on this slick surface she should fancy her chances even against the mighty Iga Swiatek in a potential Poland final.

Boulter’s win against Germany on Friday was so brisk that Raducanu was still doing post-match duties when it finished. ‘Last night Emma told me to slow down so she could get out and watch,’ said Boulter last night, ‘so I slowed it down a little bit for her – I was being a good team-mate!’ Not a gag of which the aforementioned comedy duos would have been proud but an indication of the jocular dynamic developing within this team.

Raducanu, 22, beat Canada’s Rebecca Marino 6-0, 7-5 to put her country 1-0 up

Katie Boulter then finished the job with a 6-2, 6-4 victory over Leylah Fernandez

'The more I play Billie Jean King Cup, the more I enjoy it,’ said Raducanu. 

‘I feel like the stakes are so high but in a really relaxed and exciting way.’

Boulter added: ‘I feel like we have been building for some time now and it is finally coming out. 

'We have a great team, we've got great chemistry. Living with the girls this week has been truly amazing.’