Great Britain’s wait for a first Billie Jean King Cup title goes on after they suffered a 2-0 loss to the United States in the semi-finals.
Katie Boulter needed to beat world number seven Jessica Pegula to keep Britain in the tie after a battling Sonay Kartal lost to Emma Navarro in the first singles match.
But after Boulter took the first set, Pegula fought back to win 3-6 6-4 6-2 and secure a 31st appearance in the final for Lindsay Davenport’s team.
Both Boulter and Kartal – who lost 3-6 6-4 6-3 to Navarro, a player ranked more than 60 places above her – will be left to rue missed chances from two tight matches.
Great Britain have reached the semi-finals three times in the past four years but their most recent final appearance came in 1981.
The US, the most successful team in the competition’s history with 18 titles, will face defending champions Italy in Sunday’s final.