Interesting that following the match and with the court empty, Heather is sat down with Annie K crouching in front of her having a long conversation... one can guess the subject is about the last few games and closing out.

Jo on court, breaks in first game. Looks nervous though

Jan wrote:

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Phew! Jo takes the first set 6-3
Glad she broke for it and didn't have to serve it out!!!

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Seconded

I know they aren't the team they were, but Austria leaving Group 1 seems a bit strange.

Portugal the other team relegated.

Whoop!
We'll have another shot at WGII.
Hopefully we will be at home, either way, not on clay, and our players will have a chance to get in to form by then.

Well done team

the addict wrote:

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Was that our man phil just now in the Union Jack trousers asking Heather for a selfie ?

 

Edit

Yes, I was right, posted on twitter now

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Of course it was

So the two teams that should have qualified easily (given the players who actually bothered to turn up) did so - still impressive that, unlike Latvia, GB won every rubber they played  

The World Group 2 playoffs will involve: (with current rankings, though these will change after the weekend - WG II losers more likely to drop than rise, Group I winners the opposite)

GBR 18
JPN 23
LAT 42
Winners of PAR 19 v BRA 27 (currently 1-0)
Losers of SVK 16 v RUS 8 (1-1)
Losers of AUS 13 v UKR 10 (1-1)
Losers of ROU 11 v CAN 14 (2-0)
Losers of ITA 15 v ESP 12 (1-1)

Venue: at home v ROU (though it doesn't look like they'll be in the WG II play-offs anyway), by lot against any other country - 1995 is the cut-off for Fed Cup c.f. 1970 for DC.