The hard-charging Storm Hunters have secured a place in Australia's Billie Jean King Cup team as new captain Samantha Stosur considers her full squad for the qualifier against Mexico.
Australia host Mexico at Brisbane's Pat Rafter Arena on April 12 and 13, and Stosur faces a major selection dilemma.
While it was somewhat natural to lock Hunter in as a sure-fire starter after she rose to No. 1 in the women's doubles world rankings and reached the third round of singles at the Australian Open, Stosur's other picks Everything else is unclear.
Alina Rodionova is the country's top-ranked female athlete, becoming the oldest player to break into the world top 100 last month.
However, the 34-year-old has a feud with Tennis Australia after being passed over as a wildcard candidate for the British Open, claiming the governing body has been carrying out a long-standing vendetta against her. ing.
Long-time cup players Daria Saville and Ajla Tomljanovic, as well as fellow 2023 finals squad member Kim Birrell, are all outside the top 100 as they continue to recover from serious injuries.
Youngsters Olivia Gadecki and Tyra Preston are also options for Stosur, who announced Hunter as her first selection on Monday.
“Storm has been in great form, becoming the world's No. 1 player in doubles last year and qualifying for the Australian Open in singles this year, reaching the third round,” the captain said.
“She also recently won the WTA 1000 doubles title in Dubai.
“Storm has shown in recent years that she is definitely up to the task of representing her country and this team.”
The 29-year-old late bloomer from Rockhampton is relishing the chance to perform in front of Queensland fans in Australia's first home match since losing to France in Perth in the 2019 final.
“It means absolutely nothing to represent Australia at home in Brisbane,” Hunter said.
“I can’t wait to get out on the courts in Brisbane in front of my home crowd and give my all to qualify for the Billie Jean King Cup final.”
