Cash boost for rising stars

Stosur back to Fed Cup

THE budding careers of Gold Coast tennis prodigies Olivia Gadecki and Hana Sonton have received considerable boosts.

The pair were among five rising players to win scholarships provided by the Australian Fed Cup Tennis Foundation in partnership with the Australian Sports Foundation.

Hollywell resident Gadecki, 15, was the only recipient in 2017. The 14-and-under national champion and Junior Fed Cup representative has been tipped for big things.

“Olivia has big weapons in her game which we believe will transfer successfully to the professional women’s tour,” said Fed Cup Foundation president Judy Dalton.

Sonton, the 12-and-under national champion from Pacific Pines, will be able to use the funding to help cover travel costs involved with taking her game to the next level.

“Hana has displayed her talent in Australia with great success; the next step in her development is to compete internationally,” Dalton said. GOLD Coaster Sam Stosur will play her first Fed Cup tie in two years when she joins Ashleigh Barty, Daria Gavrilova and Destanee Aiava in facing the Netherlands.

Australia will aim to reach the top eight for the first time since 2015 by beating the Dutch in the World Group playoff in Wollongong on April 21-22.

World No.58 Stosur took last year off Fed Cup duties.

She last played in the 4-0 World Group playoff loss to the US in 2016.

Australia progressed to this month’s playoff after beating an Elina Svitolina-less Ukraine 3-2 in Canberra in February.

Stosur began her Fed Cup career in Wollongong 15 years ago.