Emma Raducanu is 3-0 at the Billie Jean King Cup (Image: Getty)
continued her hot streak on the Costa del Sol to take Great Britain to within a win of the Billie Jean King Cup final.
The British No.2 outclassed Slovakia’s world No.241 Viktoria Hruncakova 6-4 6-4 to win her third consecutive match here without dropping a set.
But she did have her serve broken twice – each time serving for the set at 5-2 – before winning in one hour and 36 minutes.
will face Slovakian No.1 Rebecca Sramkova in the second singles – and Heather Watson and Olivia Nicholls will play the doubles if required.
Jasmine Paulini’s Italy are waiting in the final tomorrow after they knocked out ’s Poland.
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Raducanu said: “Every match is extremely challenging, As the tournament progresses, it is more and more. And I think today was a really, really tough battle, because my opponent has a huge ball strike.
“And I think despite her ranking, she plays much above that, and especially on these courts, it really suits her. But I’m really pleased with how I composed myself and served it out in both sets.
“Both her sides come with extreme power. And I think if I gave her time to either side, she can really hit. It doesn’t matter where.
“So I think the tactic was to try and keep her moving and not let her just get the strike and the first strike in and make me run around.
“So think I did that well with my serving and starting the point. I’m really happy to have come through that, because I’ve actually lost to her before.”
Hruncakova, who made 26 unforced errors, had won their only previous meeting at the 2023 Auckland Open.
Emma Raducanu is hoping to lead Great Britain to glory (Image: Getty)
Hruncakova had won her last six Billie Jean King Cup matches and had won 13 out of 16 for her country.
And her big forehand troubled Raducanu in the middle of the match and found her range with her backhand in the second set.
But despite an up-and-down day with her serving, the 2021 US Open winner was able to move the Slovak around the court with drop shots and drives into the corners to disrupt her rhythm and stop fightbacks in both sets.
World No.58 Raducanu broke in the opening service game when Hruncakova hit a running forehand over the baseline.
The British No.2 had to save three break points in her opening service game after sending down two doubles faults. But she broke again to lead 4-1 after only 23 when the Slovak hit a forehand into the net.
Raducanu served for the set at 5-2 after 32 minutes but Hruncakova saved a first set point with a forehand winner and then was gifted a break with another Raducanu double fault.
Emma Raducanu has not dropped a set in Malaga (Image: Getty)
The Bromley-based star took her third set point after 50 minutes after another Hruncakova forehand error.
After tinkering with her service action during her recent 54-day injury layoff since September, Raducanu won the first set despite making only 56 per cent of first serves and sending down four doubles faults.
The first four games of the second set were on serve until Raducanu reasserted her authority by making two breaks to again lead 5-2. Both times the Slovak was forced into errors on her groundstrokes because of the pressure exerted by the British No.2.
Yet again the set was not over. Hruncakova set up three break points at 5-2 with a brilliant backhand winner down the line and took the third with a backhand cross winner on a short ball to get one break back.
Serving for the match for a second time, she made no mistake when she took her first match point with a big service winner.