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First-year captain Sam Stosur believes Australia have the team to again challenge for Billie Jean King Cup glory after making two finals since 2019.
Sam Stosur knows history counts for nothing as Australia's tennis aces strive to snap a 50-year Billie Jean King Cup title drought.
Runners-up 10 times since last winning the trophy way back in 1974 when the great Evonne Goolagong Cawley led the way, Australia face Slovakia on Sunday night bidding to make the semi-finals for the fourth time in five years.
Australia reached the final in 2019 and 2022 under former skipper Alicia Molik, and Stosur believes she has a versatile team capable of again challenging for glory.
In Ajla Tomljanovic, Olivia Gadecki, Daria Saville, Kim Birrell and doubles specialist Ellen Perez, Stosur has options aplenty.
But the first-year captain is wise enough to acknowledge the Slovaks will be no easybeats, as the underdogs showed in a 2-1 quarter-final upset of the USA on Friday.
"Obviously we've had some wonderful results in recent years, making finals and semis and the like, but every year you have to start from scratch," Stosur said in a Zoom call from Spain.
"You've got to do it all over again from the same starting point as everyone else this time around.
"But, yeah, absolutely, lots of faith and confidence in all our players that we have here.
"We've got five very high-quality tennis players to be able to pick from and put our best foot forward on the court every single time we get chance to get out there."
Flooding in Malaga during the week has limited Australia's practice sessions and clouded Stosur's selection thoughts.
"Look, it is what it is. Everyone was in the same position. Nobody got to do anything yesterday," she said.
"Obviously it's not ideal, but I think it flooding in the city is probably a bit more important than being able to hit some tennis balls."
The former US Open champion has confidence in whomever takes the court, as do the players themselves after resurgent campaigns in 2024 from Tomljanovic, Gadecki and Birrell in particular.
Tomljanovic won a second WTA title in September in Hong Kong before Gadecki and Birrell both made their maiden finals in Guadalajara and Osaka respectively.
"I feel like I'm in a really good space right now with my game," Gadecki said.
"I've played a lot of tournaments, a lot of matches this year, so to be able to finish top 100 is an incredible achievement and I'm really looking forward to competing this week.
"I'm pretty keen to singles and doubles."
As is Tomljanovic.
"It's good," said the three-times grand slam quarter-finalist.
"Everyone here puts their hand up for anything really. I think that's a good thing for a captain to have that.
"Everyone wants to play."
Fourth-seeded Australia or Slovakia will meet either defending champions Canada or Great Britain in the semi-finals.
Emma Raducanu and Katie Boulter helped the Brits to a 2-0 victory over Germany on Saturday after Iga Swiatek led Poland to a 2-0 win over Spain.
Poland take on Czechia in the last four, with Japan and Italy to square off in the other semi-final from the bottom half of the draw.
