Loyal to the tip, Alicia Molik’s religion in Ajla Tomljanovic and Daria Saville could show expensive in her last stand as Australia’s Billie Jean King Cup captain.
Molik is stepping down after a profitable decade within the function however concedes Australia’s hopes of reaching a 3rd last underneath her management hinge on a “do-or-die” battle with Kazakhstan on Thursday following a gap 2-1 defeat to Slovenia.
Tomljanovic and Saville, each nonetheless within the early levels of comebacks after virtually a yr out with knee accidents, misplaced their singles matches in straight units.
Storm Hunter and Kim Birrell teamed as much as scrap their strategy to an important doubles win that retains Australia’s slim hopes of creating the semi-finals for a fourth straight yr alive.
But even the Slovenians had been apparently shocked to see the battle-hardened Birrell, Australia’s top-ranked feminine with 71 singles matches underneath her belt in 2023, missed.
“Ajla and Dash are really proven Billie Jean King Cup players in the past and (have) experience,” Molik mentioned of her singles selections.
“For Ajla, she’s had a bit of an interrupted year. For Dash, she’s made a comeback through the middle portion of the year. But they’re fully fit.
“It was a very troublesome determination. Everyone’s degree was extremely excessive between Kim, Ajla, and Dash, however generally you do should depend on expertise.
“In the early stages of both matches, it was incredibly even. More so for Dash, the score didn’t really reflect the closeness of her match-up.”
Molik was requested immediately if she felt she’d made a mistake in not choosing Birrell for singles, with a reporter telling the Australian captain the Slovenians had been terrified of going through the 25-year-old.
“Dash and Ajla, either with a lot of tennis under their belt or not, they have done some pretty special performances here at the Billie Jean King Cup in the past,” Molik mentioned.
“Although rankings don’t reflect it, our three, the playing group, were incredibly close. So I believed both of our players would win today.
“I assumed Dash would win. I assumed Ajla would win. I assumed they’d each win in straight units. Didn’t end up that means.”
Runners-up to Switzerland last year, the second-ranked Australians must now beat Kazakhstan, who have 2022 Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina as their spearhead, and hope the Kazakhs topple Slovenia to have a chance of sneaking through on a countback.
“It’s a do-or-die one, is not it? It’s all or nothing,” Molik mentioned.
“One of the most effective gamers on this planet in that group, Rybakina. We should go all out, should convey our A sport.
“Sometimes it’s good actually when you need to win, because there is no other option. You really are forced into a corner.
“It creates these choices of urgency and actually separates the great gamers.
“That’s our challenge for Thursday. It is a big challenge for us, but anything is possible.”
Source: www.perthnow.com.au
