Australia’s Billie Jean King Cup hopes have taken a success earlier than a ball has even been hit, with newly-crowned world No.1 doubles star Storm Hunter caught up in a scheduling drama.
Hunter is in excessive doubt for Australia’s opening tie on the “World Cup of tennis” after the rain-marred WTA Finals ran a day over time.
It was not instantly clear if Hunter was in a position to catch a flight from Cancun to Spain after shedding her semi-final on Sunday (Monday AEDT) with Belgian Elise Mertens.
Even if she did, the 29-year-old would solely arrive in Seville hours earlier than Australia’s conflict with Slovenia on Tuesday.
Teammate Ellen Perez has already been dominated out after making the delayed doubles closing in Mexico with American Nicole Melichar-Martinez which will probably be performed on Monday (Tuesday AEDT).
Her absence, and Hunter’s potential unavailability, has left Australia captain Alicia Molik with restricted doubles choices.
At least one and presumably two of her singles picks out of Kim Birrell, Daria Saville and the returning Ajla Tomljanovic must again up for the doubles.
Hunter isn’t any stranger to such troubles, having carried out heroically for Molik final 12 months to guide Australia to the ultimate of the celebrated groups’ occasion previously often called the Fed Cup for less than the second time since 1993.
Despite additionally arriving on the eleventh hour final 12 months, the modern-day left-handed “Rockhampton Rocket” gained two of her matches in each singles and doubles, together with posting a victory over top-20 star Mertens.
Molik will little doubt be banking on Hunter using on adrenaline every time she lands in Spain, having secured the world No.1 doubles rating with a her cost to the semi-finals in Cancun.
The Queenslander has usurped co-No.1s Jessica Pegula and US Open singles champion Coco Gauff from high spot.
Ranked because the No.2 girls’s nation after shedding the 2022 closing to eventual champions Switzerland, Australia face Kazakhstan of their second group fixture on Thursday.
The 12 groups at this 12 months’s finals have been cut up into 4 teams of three, with solely the pool winners advancing from the round-robin stage to Saturday’s semi-finals.
The closing will happen on Sunday.
Seven-time champions Australia have not lifted the trophy since 1974 with the good Evonne Goolagong Cawley main the way in which.
Source: www.perthnow.com.au
