Storm Sanders has lastly run out of wonders as Australia’s tennis girls succumbed on the final hurdle of their bid to change into world champions in Glasgow.
Seeking to change into Billie Jean King Cup champions for the primary time in 48 years, and watched by the legendary BJK herself, Alicia Molik’s group have been soundly defeated within the last 2-0 by Switzerland in Sunday’s showdown.
In a repeat of final yr’s semi-final which the Swiss dominated, the indefatigable Sanders was hailed a hero after battling in opposition to accidents and evident weariness earlier than dropping 6-3 4-6 6-3 to fellow left-hander Jil Teichmann on the Emirates Arena.
The defeat left Australian No.1 Ajla Tomljanovic with too steep a mountain to scale. She discovered Swiss counterpart Belinda Bencic, the world No.12, a category above in a 6-2 6-1 defeat.
It earned the Swiss their first-ever victory within the group competitors beforehand generally known as the Federation Cup and Fed Cup, however for Australia the irritating wait goes on after they misplaced their tenth last since Evonne Goolagong led them to a conquer the US in Naples in 1974.
“We want to get back and go one better,” mentioned a defiant captain Molik, explaining how proud she was of the group.
“We’ve had two finals in four years and you have to keep chipping away, you can’t be despondent.”
The tie by no means got here right down to a deciding doubles match, leaving 38-year-old Sam Stosur with out the possibility to crown her stellar profession with the prize she has so lengthy coveted after 19 years within the competitors.
In their second defeat in a last in 4 editions, this one not less than didn’t have fairly the agonising really feel of 2019’s Perth showdown in opposition to the French which went right down to the wire.
Sanders, the Queenslander from Rod Laver’s hometown, has been the Rockhampton revelation this week, defying her misleading singles rating of 237 with a collection of aggressive, resilient performances.
But looking for a sixth victory out of seven in Glasgow, she was left scuffling with two leg accidents and wanted courtside therapy throughout her defeat.
Even so, Teichmann, the world No.35, discovered Sanders a totally completely different participant to the one she smashed 6-0 6-3 in final yr’s semi.
But Sanders’ bodily state after greater than 11 hours of going for broke on court docket this week finally informed as she lastly needed to give strategy to the dogged Teichmann after a compelling two hour, 27 minute duel.
At 2-1 and a break down within the second set as Teichmann was dominating affairs, Sanders – already along with her proper adductor closely taped after struggling damage issues on Saturday – wanted therapy on an injured ankle on the changeover.
She regarded virtually down and out however in some way dredged up contemporary vitality to take the second set and drag the competition right into a gruelling see-saw decider.
“It was heroic. An example was the crowd when Storm went up to collect her medal; they recognised a great fighter, she left everything out there,” Molik mentioned.
In the ultimate set, a double fault from the more and more fatigued-looking Sanders gifted Teichmann the important thing break for 3-2 after a titanic sport lasting greater than 11 minutes.
Australia’s hopes within the best-of-three contest then rested with No.1 Tomljanovic, however identical to final yr, she was utterly outplayed by Olympic champion Bencic, who produced a scientific show of hitting to interrupt her six occasions.
