British number one Johanna Konta is hoping for more of the home-crowd energy that pulled her back from the brink of exhaustion in their last tie when GB seek Fed Cup promotion this weekend.
Britain face Kazakhstan in a best-of-five play-off at London’s Copper Box Arena, with Konta and her team-mates hoping to end a 26-year wait for promotion to Fed Cup World Group II.
It is the fifth time in eight years Britain have reached the play-offs and every previous tie has been away from home, with defeats keeping them in the third tier of women’s team tennis.
This year they earned their place with victory in February’s round-robin event in Bath, where Konta battled fatigue and needed to be helped to her feet at the end of her match in the decisive win against Serbia.
“The home support lends you energy when you need it,” Konta, 27, told BBC Sport.
“You really feed off their emotions and their desires for you. It is also the team you have behind you.”
Konta’s world ranking has dropped from 23 to 46 in the past 12 months but she made changes to her coaching team in November and reaped the rewards with a determined performance in Bath.
“Overall, I feel good about the work I am putting in with my own team,” she said. “I am enjoying my tennis and enjoying my life so it’s a good position to be in.”
