• Fed Cup

Exciting times ahead for Team GB - 'Proud' Murray

Great Britain's Fed Cup squad celebrate their victory over Austria © Getty Images

Enlarge

Related Links

• News: Team GB pull Sweden out of the hat
  
• What the Deuce: Murray provides the spark for Britain's Fed Cup charge
  
• News: Britain power into World Group play-offs
  
• Profile: Elena Baltacha

Fed Cup captain Judy Murray said she was "over the moon" after her Great Britain squad secured their place in the World Group play-offs with victory against Austria in Israel.

Great Britain were utterly dominant as they won all four of their ties in Israel this week, with impressive singles victories for Anne Keothavong and Elena Baltacha earning Murray's team a 2-0 success over Austria.

Playing amongst world tennis' elite for the first time since 1993 is now a distinct possibility, with the second tier of world team tennis to await Team GB should they get through their April play-off against one of the losing sides from this weekend's World Group II fixtures.

A thrilled Murray said: "Right now I'm absolutely over the moon that we've managed to win all of our matches, to win our group, and then win the play-offs and get ourselves a promotion play-off. It is everything that I would have hoped for and I'm just so, so proud of the team after what they've achieved this week."

Murray reserved special mention for Britain's highest-ranked woman Baltacha, who was unbeaten in four singles matches this week.

"You'd be hard pushed to find a better No. 1 than Bally," Murray said. "She's just such an incredible competitor.

"She leaves everything out on the court so it's exciting times ahead for us with the play-off match, and exciting times ahead for the future because Anne and Bally are playing the best tennis of their lives, the young players Heather and Laura are very exciting prospects and they will learn a lot from being around the older girls."

Baltacha said: "I went out there, I got so pumped. I thought 'Right, I'm going to do this,' and I played so well and was just really pleased that it didn't have to go to a deciding doubles. I'm never going to forget this day."

Keothavong added: "Since I made my Fed Cup debut 11 years ago, this is the first time we've managed to move up and advance out of this group and I'm just so pleased for the team."

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.