Fed Cup team strong and confident

CAPTAIN Alicia Molik has declared the Australian Fed Cup team the strongest in years leading into this weekend’s tie against Ukraine.

Australia enters its World Cup II tie as heavy favourites, with the visitors arriving in Canberra without world No. 3 Elina Svitolina.

Teenage prodigy Marta Kostyuk, 15, is Ukraine’s highest-ranked available singles player, rising to 185 after reaching the third round of last month’s Australian Open.

Australia’s world No. 26 Daria Gavrilova will come up against Kostyuk in the second singles match at Canberra Tennis Centre today.

World No. 16 Ashleigh Barty will get Australia under way against outsider Lyudmyla Kichenok, who is ranked 883.

Molik said the team was pleased with the form of Barty and Gavrilova.

“It’s been a long time since our top two singles players have won WTA events only a couple of months leading into the Fed Cup,” Molik said.

“That’s a pretty strong indication that they know how to win big tournaments, Casey (Dellacqua) included, and I’m sure Destanee (Aiava) will get there very soon.”

Australia has not won a Fed Cup title since 1974, but Molik said the current group should be breaking the drought in the next two years. Barty will back up in the doubles with Dellacqua to form a fearsome combination for Ukraine’s pairing of Nadiia Kichenok and 14year-old Dasha Lopatetskaya.

In the reverse singles tomorrow, Barty will battle with Kostyuk, with Gavrilova to follow against Lyudmyla Kichenok.