Australia raced to victory over Colombia at Pat Rafter Enviornment on Saturday, ending its Billie Jean King Cup Qualifiers marketing campaign on a excessive.
Brisbane, QLD, Australia, 12 April 2025 | Matt Trollope
Australia loved a triumphant Saturday at Pat Rafter Enviornment as Maya Joint and Kimberly Birrell scored singles victories to present the hosts an unbeatable lead over Colombia.
Joint opened the day’s play with a dominant 6-1 6-0 win over Yuliana Monroy earlier than Birrell powered to a 6-1 6-3 victory towards Yuliana Lizarazo.
Storm Hunter and Ellen Perez then overwhelmed Valentina Mediorreal Arias and Maria Paulina Perez-Garcia 6-0 6-1 to finish a 3-0 clear sweep in Brisbane.
AUS v COL FLASHBACK: Stosur shines in Billie Jean King Cup debut
Australia finishes second within the three-nation group behind Kazakhstan, who progresses to September’s Finals in Shenzhen. Australia and Colombia will compete within the Play-off spherical in November.
Group captain Sam Stosur mentioned the end result “undoubtedly” noticed Australia finish the week on a memorable notice.
“It’s all the time good to get wins it doesn’t matter what the scenario. I believe all of the gamers as we speak went on the market with the thought within the entrance of their thoughts that they needed to complete this weekend on a excessive, and I believe that’s precisely how all of them performed.
“All of them performed improbable as we speak. Didn’t let up and never essentially the best factor to do when it’s a little bit of a lifeless match, but it surely nonetheless means one thing to all these gamers representing their nation and enjoying as greatest they will.
“We had an excellent crowd, nice ambiance, and I believe they gave them loads to cheer about so it was nice to be on the sidelines and I didn’t actually try this a lot as we speak; it was fairly cruisy [for me] with the best way that all of them performed.”
Saturday’s outcomes marked the primary Billie Jean King Cup singles wins for each Joint and Birrell, who have been thrilled to notch such a milestone whereas carrying the green-and-gold.
“It’s very particular. I really feel actually completely satisfied proper now,” mentioned Joint, who struck 22 winners to Monroy’s zero within the 45-minute rout.
“Such an honour to be part of this workforce and simply having the ability to play alongside them and simply being chosen is simply, it’s a tremendous feeling, however profitable is a complete different factor.
“The match felt actually good as we speak. I simply felt actually comfy and yeah, I used to be capable of do what I needed.”
Joint made her Billie Jean Cup debut for Australia simply two days earlier towards Kazakhstan. She fell to Yulia Putintseva 6-2 6-1 but competed admirably, stretching the world No.23 to a number of deuce video games and impressing a participant with vastly extra expertise within the workforce occasion.
“It was really loads totally different [today],” Joint mentioned. “I used to be actually, actually nervous final match.
“I felt slightly bit extra free this time, and I believe I used to be enjoying very well as we speak, so I settled in fairly rapidly and I believe I used to be capable of play the best way that I needed to play.
“Yulia [Putintseva] made that [previous match] slightly bit tougher.”
For Birrell, the victory was particularly significant given it got here in entrance of family and friends in her house state.
The Queeslander, quickly to show 27, made her consultant debut in 2016 as a teen however this week’s Qualifiers competitors introduced a complete new set of circumstances.
She was the No.1-ranked participant within the workforce for the primary time and nicely as enjoying her first house tie in Billie Jean King Cup.
Her first victory in Aussie colors, helped partially by 28 winners to 10, was the “cherry on prime”.
“Each time I’ve ever performed for Australia, it’s been so significant. However I believe there was positively an added layer contemplating, yeah, enjoying a house tie and it being in Brisbane and simply every thing this 12 months has been superb,” Birrell mentioned.
“It positively does make it actually particular after which to play nicely as we speak and form of end this week on a excessive notice, yeah, a lot of recollections made and feeling very grateful.”
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