Barty key to World Group ambition
ASHLEIGH Barty believes Australia can break a 45- year Fed Cup title drought after piloting the one- time tennis superpower back into the World Group for the first time since 2015.
Barty’s back- to- back singles wins over Quirine Lemoine and Lesley Kerkhove led Australia to a 4- 1 victory over the Netherlands in their World Group playoff in Wollongong.
Daria Gavrilova sealed Australia’s return to the eight- nation elite with a 6- 3, 6- 2 defeat of Lemoine that gave the hosts an unbeatable 3- 1 lead after Barty outclassed Kerkhove 6- 4, 6- 2 in yesterday’s first reverse singles match.
Gavrilova and Destanee Aiava added the icing on the cake with a 6- 3, 6- 2 win over Kerkhove and Demi Schuurs in the dead doubles rubber.
Barty, though, was the star for Australia.
Living up to her status as the indoor hardcourt tie’s highest- ranked player, the 21- year- old improved her impressive record in the competition to 11- 2 – and 6- 1 in singles – with her eighth straight Fed Cup win.
Now the world No. 19 craves a crack at the title that has eluded Australia since 1974.
“We’ve known it’s been a work in progress to get back into the World Group and now we’re in a perfect position to put ourselves in with a chance for a shot at the title next year,” Barty said.
The draw for next year’s World Group competition will be held after the 2018 final in November.