Barty up first for tie

Aussies favourites for reason says Molik

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

Australia enter their World Cup II tie as heavy favourites with the visitors arriving in Canberra severely understrength, most notably 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 today come up against Kostyuk in the second singles match at Canberra Tennis Centre.

World No.16 Ashleigh Barty will get Australia under way against outsider Lyudmyla Kichenok, who is ranked 883, after the draw was announced yesterday morning.

Molik said the team had embraced the “favourites” tag and 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 have not won a Fed Cup title since 1974, but Molik said the current group should be breaking the drought in the next two years.

As expected, Barty will back up in the doubles tomorrow with Dellacqua to form a fearsome combination for Ukraine’s pairing of Nadiia Kichenok and 14-year-old Dasha Lopatetskaya.

Gavrilova said she was well aware of Kostyuk’s prodigious talent.

“She’s playing beyond her age,” Gavrilova said.