Heather Watson to lead Great Britain in Fed Cup qualifier

Anne Keothavong's side are bidding to win a best-of-five away tie for the first time, having lost all four previous World Group II play-offs away to Sweden in 2012, Argentina in 2013, Romania in 2017 and Japan in 2018

Image: Heather Watson is Britain's highest-ranked player in the absence of Johanna Konta

Heather Watson will lead Great Britain's bid to reach the new-look Fed Cup Finals in their qualifier against Slovakia.

Watson, who is Britain's highest-ranked player in the absence of world No 14 Johanna Konta, faces Anna Schmiedlova in the opening singles rubber in Bratislava on Friday.

Harriet Dart will then take on Slovakia's No 1 Viktoria Kuzmova in the second singles rubber, with debutants Naiktha Bains and Emma Raducanu named to face Kuzmova and Magdalena Rybarikova in Saturday's doubles.

The winner of the tie will join 11 other teams at the Fed Cup Finals in Budapest from April 14-19.

Image: Caroline Garcia and Kristina Mladenovic celebrating France's Fed Cup victory

Last year's winners France, runners-up Australia and hosts Hungary have already secured a place in the finals, along with 11-time champions the Czech Republic, who were given a wild card.

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The remaining eight teams will be decided by the qualifying ties, which include Latvia away to a daunting United States side featuring Serena Williams, Coco Gauff and newly-crowned Australian Open champion Sofia Kenin.

The 12 finalists will be divided into four groups of three, with the winner of each group advancing to the semi-finals.

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