Australia faces Slovakia on Sunday night time bidding to make the semifinals for the fourth time in 5 years, with captain Sam Stosur benefitting from a wealth of choice choices.
Malaga, Spain, 17 November 2024 | Darren Walton (AAP)
Sam Stosur is aware of historical past counts for nothing as Australia’s tennis aces try to win their Billie Jean King Cup title in 50 years.
Runners-up 10 occasions since final profitable the trophy in 1974 when the nice Evonne Goolagong Cawley led the best way, Australia faces Slovakia on Sunday night time bidding to make the semifinals for the fourth time in 5 years.
Australia reached the ultimate in 2019 and 2022 underneath former captain Alicia Molik, and Stosur believes she has a flexible staff able to once more difficult for glory.
However the first-year captain is smart sufficient to acknowledge the Slovaks shall be no easybeats, because the underdogs confirmed in a 2-1 quarterfinal upset of america on Friday.
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Australia will tackle Slovakia within the #BJKCup quarterfinals💚💛
Protection will start at 8pm AEDT this Sunday on 9GEM and @StanSportAU
— TennisAustralia (@TennisAustralia) November 15, 2024
“Clearly we’ve had some great outcomes lately, making finals and semis and the like, however yearly it’s important to begin from scratch,” Stosur mentioned in a video name from Spain.
“You’ve acquired to do it once more from the identical start line as everybody else this time round.
“However, yeah, completely, numerous religion and confidence in all our gamers that we have now right here. We’ve acquired 5 very high-quality tennis gamers to have the ability to decide from and put our greatest foot ahead on the courtroom each single time we get probability to get on the market.”
Flooding in Malaga in the course of the week has restricted Australia’s apply classes and clouded Stosur’s choice ideas.
“Look, it’s what it’s. Everybody was in the identical place. No person acquired to do something yesterday,” she mentioned.
“Clearly it’s not perfect, however I believe it flooding within the metropolis might be a bit extra necessary than with the ability to hit some tennis balls.”
The 2011 US Open champion has confidence in whomever takes the courtroom, as do the gamers themselves after resurgent campaigns in 2024 from Ajla Tomljanovic, Olivia Gadecki and Kimberly Birrell particularly.
Tomljanovic received a second WTA 125K title in September in Hong Kong earlier than Gadecki and Birrell each made their maiden tour-level finals in Guadalajara and Osaka respectively.
“I really feel like I’m in a very good house proper now with my sport,” Gadecki mentioned.
“I’ve performed a whole lot of tournaments, a whole lot of matches this 12 months, so to have the ability to end high 100 is an unbelievable achievement and I’m actually wanting ahead to competing this week.
“I’m fairly eager to singles and doubles.”
Seeing if the Australian @BJKCup staff is on the identical web page 🗒️#GoAussies #BJKCup pic.twitter.com/tF0hU71DLp
— TennisAustralia (@TennisAustralia) November 16, 2024
As is Tomljanovic.
“It’s good,” mentioned the three-time Grand Slam quarterfinalist. “Everybody right here places their hand up for something actually. I believe that’s a very good factor for a captain to have that.
“Everybody desires to play.”
Fourth-seeded Australia or Slovakia will meet both defending champions Canada or Nice Britain within the semifinals.
Emma Raducanu and Katie Boulter helped the Brits to a 2-0 victory over Germany on Saturday after Iga Swiatek led Poland to a 2-0 win over Spain.
Swiatek once more starred within the quarters as Poland subsequently beat Czechia 2-1 to succeed in the final 4, the place they’ll meet Italy, 2-1 winners over Japan within the different quarterfinal within the backside half of the draw.
