‘Friendly fire’ for Ashleigh, Victoria in Fed Cup

PARIS: Ashleigh Barty will be overjoyed when doubles partner and two-time major winner Victoria Azarenka returns to the peak of her powers but hopes it won’t be this weekend when Australia and Belarus clash for a place in the Fed Cup final.

Ashleigh and Victoria teamed up this season, making the doubles semi-finals at the prestigious Miami Open just days before the Australian clinched the singles title, a breakthrough which propelled her into the world’s top 10.

Now Ashleigh leads Australia’s hopes of reaching a first Fed Cup final since 1993 when they face 2017 runners up Belarus in Brisbane today and tomorrow.

And the pair have been selected to meet each other in the second singles rubber, with Victoria preferred to her higher-ranked teammate Aliaksandra Sasnovich.

Australia also opted for experience, with former US Open champion Samantha Stosur, who made her Fed Cup debut back in 2003, a surprise pick to open the tie, rather than Daria Gavrilova, against World No 10 Aryna Sabalenka.

“She’s obviously a player who loves the pressure situation,” Ashleigh said of 29-year-old Victoria, ranked 61, who is no stranger to success “Down Under” having won the 2012 and 2013 Australian Open titles.

“The tighter it gets, the better she gets. I’m sure it won’t be long before she’s back to her very best once again.”

The two teams are evenly matched on paper but Ashleigh, who boasts a Fed Cup record of 14 wins and just two losses, is confident seven-time champions Australia can end their long wait to make another final.

“I feel like we have a really unique team at the moment and it’s a bloody good one,” she said. “I think we’ve got more than a good chance of winning.”

In the weekend’s other semifinal, Simona Halep eyes taking another step closer to adding a maiden Fed Cup winner’s medal to her 2018 French Open crown when Romania face France in Rouen.

Romania have equalled their best Fed Cup showing, having also made it to the semi-finals in 1973.