Dasha overlooked in Molik’s Fed Cup surprise
ASHLEIGH Barty and Samantha Stosur have been named to play both singles and doubles after Australian captain Alicia Molik pulled a selection surprise for this weekend’s Fed Cup World Group playoff against the Netherlands.
Australian No. 2 Daria Ga- vrilova has been overlooked despite being ranked 24th in the world — 32 places above Stosur.
Stosur will face Lesley Kerkhove in the first match today before Barty takes on Quirine Lemoine in the second singles rubber of the indoor hardcourt tie in Wollongong.
Barty and Stosur were named to play Demi Schuurs and Indy de Vroome in the doubles, but Molik can still tinker her line-up for tomorrow’s matches after today’s action.
Stosur is the most successful singles performer in Australian Fed Cup history, but she is returning to the competition after almost two years.
Gavrilova appears to have paid the price for her horror showing in Australia’s tough 3-2 win over Ukraine in Febru- ary, when she lost both her singles matches.
MEANWHILE, Novak Djokovic believes he will return to the top after continuing his injury comeback with a third-round defeat by Dominic Thiem in Monte Carlo. World No.1 Rafael Nadal later cruised to victory over Russian Karen Khachanov to set up a quarterfinal clash with Thiem.