[ad_1]
The Australian group must defeat Kazakhstan at the moment to maintain their 2023 Billie Jean King Cup hopes alive.
Seville, Spain, 9 November 2023 | Leigh Rogers
The Australian group is prepared for a must-win battle with Kazakhstan on the Billie Jean King Cup Finals in Spain.
“It’s a do-or-die one, isn’t it? It’s all or nothing,” Australian captain Alicia Molik stated forward of their conflict in Seville.
The Aussie group is seeking to bounce again strongly after shedding their opening round-robin tie in opposition to Slovenia on Tuesday.
A victory will hold their slim hopes alive of advancing to the semifinals, whereas a loss will sign the top of their 2023 marketing campaign.
The excellent news is that Australia can have a full group to pick from, following the late arrivals of doubles stars Storm Hunter and Ellen Perez from the WTA Finals in Mexico.
“We’re at full full energy,” Molik stated. “Now it’s simply understanding our greatest possibilities in opposition to what we expect will likely be their greatest group.”
| Australian group | ||
| Participant | Singles rating | Doubles rating |
| Kimberly Birrell | No.113 | No.233 |
| Storm Hunter | No.172 | No.1 |
| Daria Saville | No.206 | No.168 |
| Ellen Perez | No.500 | No.17 |
| Ajla Tomljanovic | No.549 | – |
| Captain: Alicia Molik | ||
Molik is cautious of a Kazakhstan line-up led by world No.4 Elena Rybakina.
Rybakina received the Wimbledon 2022 title and was an Australian Open finalist earlier this season.
“(They’ve) probably the greatest gamers on this planet in that group,” Molik stated. “We’ve to go all out, must deliver our A sport.”
| Kazakhstan group | ||
| Participant | Singles rating | Doubles rating |
| Elena Rybakina | No.4 | No.119 |
| Yulia Putintseva | No.69 | No.345 |
| Zhibek Kulambayeva | No.515 | No.151 |
| Aruzhan Sagandikova | No.751 | No.865 |
| Anna Danilina | No.814 | No.56 |
| Captain: Yaroslava Shvedova | ||
Molik is hopeful the excessive stress will encourage her Australian group to play their greatest tennis.
“Generally it’s good really when it’s good to win, as a result of there isn’t any different choice. You actually are compelled right into a nook,” she stated.
“I believe typically in tennis when you have got much less choices, it actually creates these choices of urgency and actually separates the great gamers.
“That’s our problem for Thursday. It’s a massive problem for us, however something is feasible.”
Australia’s top-ranked singles participant, Kimberly Birrell, agrees the stress might show useful.
“We actually thrive in environments like that. I believe us Aussies, we do nicely because the underdogs,” the 25-year-old stated.
Australia’s round-robin conflict with Kazakhstan is broadcast stay in Australia on the 9 Community (from 8pm AEDT).
Discover your solution to play: Go to play.tennis.com.au to get out on courtroom and have some enjoyable!
[ad_2]