Brisbane: The new and old of Australian women's tennis must combine for a perfect Fed Cup Sunday if the on-the-ropes hosts are to turn a 0-2 deficit into an unlikely victory in the world group play-off against the US, with captain Alicia Molik backing her vanquished singles duo to return and force a deciding fifth doubles rubber.
Sam Stosur plays a forehand during her loss to American Christina McHale in the Fed Cup. Photo: Getty Images
"No question we'd prefer to be at one-all at worst, but it is what it is, and we have been there before, we know the feeling. It is about regrouping and I think believing and trusting ourselves tomorrow," Molik said after opening day losses to debutante Daria Gavrilova and veteran Sam Stosur - the latter also set to combine in doubles with Casey Dellacqua should the tie go the distance.
"[The Americans'] confidence is going to be sky high, but I think Dasha and Sam can rise to the level tomorrow. No question Sam's disappointed about today, but it's an enormous task for us. I think one positive is when we get it to the doubles, and when it boils down to the doubles, we won our live rubber [in the previous tie in Slovakia], so I have full trust in our doubles team when we get that far, not if.
"That's my plan for tomorrow. But it's about Dasha and Sam continuing to do what makes them great players on the singles court and really backing themselves."
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Gavrilova was overpowered 6-4, 6-2 and 28 winners to four by US No.1 Madison Keys in her first match for her adopted nation, in an opening result that came as no great surprise. More critical was Stosur's 3-6, 6-1, 7-5 loss to 57th-ranked Christina McHale, the Queenslander having lost her way badly in the second set before making a contest of a roller-coaster third.
Stosur was unbeaten in four previous matches against McHale, who vindicated captain Mary Jo Fernandez's surprise decision to select her ahead of CoCo Vandeweghe by claiming her first Fed Cup victory since 2012. Stosur has still won just seven matches in Brisbane in the eight-year life of its Tennyson tennis complex, although this was the first she had played in her home state on purpose-built clay.
"I played well for the most part - unfortunately got a couple of short balls in that game at five-all and kind of screwed 'em all up, so that was unfortunately not the way to end the match," said Stosur, who was confident she could recover emotionally for the first reverse singles against the big-hitting Keys, ranked one place above her at 25th.
"I've got a great team around me so we'll do everything that we need to do and I'll be prepared for that match at 11 o'clock, for sure. We all know that Dash and I are probably going to be a little bit down tonight and a little bit disappointed, but we've got no choice but to come back tomorrow and do it all over again."
Gavrilova, meanwhile, was determined to learn from her first Fed Cup match, having only been cleared to play for Australia when her appeal to the International Tennis Federation was upheld last month. The Williams sisters and Sloane Stephens are missing from the US team, but Keys proved herself a worthy spearhead.
"I expected a big ball, but she played really well, she was pretty much on from the first point and she showed it even in the five minute warm-up that she wanted it, so all credit to her," said the world No.39. "I created some opportunities for myself, but didn't convert them."
There is no time to mope, however, before a potential match-up with McHale that would appear to suit the relatively underpowered Gavrilova considerably better. "I think we play a bit similar, to be honest. She's a great competitor and she makes a lot of balls back and she doesn't hit as big as Madison," the adopted Victorian said. "But I beat her last year in Rome, so I know how to play her pretty well.
"Tomorrow is a new day and it's a team event so we're all supporting each other and I can't be down, [or] the teammates are not going to be happy with me ... I think now that I've played one match it's definitely going to help me tomorrow, I will feel more settled and I will know what to expect."
Fernandez was pleased but not complacent. "You still have to win the next one, and it's not going to be easy. Every match is close. You can make a case for each team, in every match. So, for sure, [a win in the tie] is closer, but it's nowhere near the finish line yet."
Linda Pearce travelled with the assistance of the Fed Cup Foundation and Tennis Australia.