Jocelyn Rae & Team GB face Simon Halep's Romania in Fed Cup

TALLINN, ESTONIA - FEBRUARY 10: Laura Robson (L) and Jocelyn Rae of Great Britain talk during the Fed Cup Europe/Africa Group 1, Pool C doubles match against Ayla Aksu and Pemra Ozgen of Turkey at the Tallink Tennis Centre on February 10, 2017 in Tallinn, Estonia. (Photo by Getty Images for LTA)

Anne Keothavong’s team, including Scotland’s Jocelyn Rae as a doubles player, will play the tricky away fixture on 22 and 23 April as they bid to reach the competition’s second tier for the first time in almost a quarter of a century.

Great Britain kept their Fed Cup promotion hopes alive with a dramatic play-off victory over Croatia on Saturday.

Johanna Konta and Heather Watson came from a set down in the final-match decider against Ana Konjuh and Donna Vekic in the doubles after a surprise defeat for Konta left the teams level following the singles matches. Before defeatin Croatia in the group played in Tallinn, Estonia, Team GB had resounding 3-0 wins over all their pool rivals, Portugal, Latvia and Turkey.

The Romanians, who were surprisingly beaten in their World Group II tie at home to Belgium, boast world  No 4 our Simona Halep among their ranks.

Great Britain have not played at the World Group level since 1993.

In Rotterdam, defending champion Martin Klizan of Slovakia beat Fernando Verdasco of Spain 6-4, 0-6, 6-1 to reach the second round of the World Tennis Tournament.

In an erratic contest, both players dropped serve four times but the unseeded Klizan, who had lost their two previous meetings, prevailed and will next play Germany’s Philipp Kohlschreiber.

Kohlschreiber advanced by beating eighth-seeded Lucas Pouille 7-5, 6-2, breaking the Frenchman’s serve four times.

The 22-year-old Pouille, ranked 17th and considered by many as a future top 10 player, has been hampered by a right foot injury in the past month.

Sixth-seeded Jo-Wilfried Tsonga of France dropped serve three times in a 6-4, 7-6 (2) win against 18-year-old  Stefanos Tsitsipas, a Greek player making his ATP main draw debut.

“It was difficult, as I did not know him at all,” Tsonga said. “That’s unusual on the Tour. I didn’t know where to play at the start or what to expect.”

Tsonga, ranked 14th, next plays Luxembourg’s Gilles Muller, who had 14 aces in a 6-3, 6-2 win against Tallon Griekspoor – a Dutchman ranked No 319 in the world.

Also, Gilles Simon beat last year’s beaten semi-finalist Nicolas Mahut 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 in an all-French match.

In other ATP Tour action, Adrian Mannarino was the biggest early casualty at the Memphis Open.

The sixth seed was up a set and a break against Donald Young, but the American hit back to prevail 3-6,7-5, 7-6 (7/4). Also in Tennessee, Kevin Anderson’s first ATP Tour match since October ended in a 6-7 (6/8), 7-6 (7/2), 6-4 defeat to Damir Dzumhur while Japan’s Yoshihito Nishioka saw off Guillermo Garcia-Lopez 6-4, 6-4.

It was a good day for the home players at the Argentina Open as Leonardo Mayer and Federico Delbonis both progressed through the first round. Mayer beat Gastao Elias 4-6, 6-4, 6-4 while world No 45 Delbonis eased to a 6-3 6-1 victory against France’s Stephane Robert.