The Château d’Hardelot, with its original half-blue-white-red, half-Union Jack flag overlooking its walls, was undoubtedly the ideal place to host the draw for the match between France and Great Britain. The site houses the Entente Cordiale Cultural Center, dedicated to relations between the two countries, and on Thursday, when the order of the matches was determined, there was still time for pleasantries between the French and British. It will be different on Friday, with the launch of this qualifying round of the Billie Jean King Cup and there will no longer be any question of big smiles between Diane Parry and Katie Boulter, the first two who will launch into the Portel arena.
