STOSUR RETURNS
Aussies in drive for Fed Cup
ANY nation wanting to stop Australia winning their first Fed Cup title in 45 years will have to get through Ash Barty on home soil to do it.
Barty, unbeaten in her past 11 Fed Cup singles and doubles matches, would have the advantage of a home final in November should her Australian team win their semi-final against Belarus, which starts in Brisbane on Saturday week.
It was mixed news for Gold Coast stars with veteran Sam Stosur, who is available again, yesterday included in a four-woman Australian team.
Rising star Kimberly Birrell, who played in Australia’s quarter-final win over USA in February, missed out.
Stosur joins fellow Queenslanders Barty and Priscilla Hon and Melbourne’s Daria Gavrilova in the squad to play Belarus.
Australian captain Alicia Molik confirmed yesterday her team would play either semi-finalists, France or Romania, in a final in Australia should they win.
“It would be amazing for women’s tennis in Australia if we did have a home Fed Cup final,’’ Molik said.
“We have with Ash a player who is playing the best tennis in women’s tennis now.
“Who knows how much longer the current format for Fed Cup will be retained?
“Ash is ranked No.9 and who knows what she will be ranked then (November).’’
Barty enters the semi-final as the top-ranked player in both singles and doubles from both teams, one place ahead of Belarus’s Aryna Sabalenka.
Molik said Barty would again want to take on two singles matches and a doubles rubber against Belarus in the two-day tie.
“I believe we can win this tie against Belarus,’’ she said.
“We have the momentum. But on rankings it’s 50-50 about the outcome.’’
Hon, 20, said she would be more comfortable in the semi-final than she was when she and Barty won the doubles in the US.
“I was born here (Brisbane). I train at this centre … so being able to play here in front of a home crowd, it will sound cliche, but it’s a dream come true,” Hon said.
Molik said she would consider Stosur, who has a singles ranking, in singles or doubles in the semi-final.