Stosur primed for Australia captaincy challenge in BJK Cup / Photo: Lesley Martin - AFP
-
US to auction deep sea mining leases off American Samoa
-
Maddison sparkles on Spurs return as win drought ends
-
Australian lawmaker hurt in car attack underwent surgery overnight: PM
-
Trump says ready to meet with Putin and Xi in China
-
Japan launches rocket for potential world first Mars moon mission
-
The young lawmaker making Brazil's Lula 'king of the selfie'
-
Ethiopia PM warns Eritrea of 'severe consequences' if supports enemies
-
Christiane Amanpour to leave CNN after 43 years
-
Boland grabs opportunity for Australia as South Africa struggle in second Test
-
Ronaldo handed 30-day suspension after walking out on Portugal
-
Ronaldo handed 30-day suspension: Portuguese federation
-
Netanyahu basks in Trump endorsement week before election
-
France announces curfews as government grapples with unrest
-
Saudi airport closure disrupts life in kingdom's capital
-
Boland sets pace as South Africa struggle
-
Ramaphosa tells South Africa to prepare for loss of US-Africa trade deal
-
Ukraine on back foot as Kremlin moots US, China meeting
-
France presses resale platforms to remove 'stolen' goods after unrest
-
'Stay home!': Tourists find themselves in a France convulsed by protests
-
Yamal v PSG: Ballon d'Or backdrop to Champions League showdown
-
Kenyan cult leader guilty on all charges over 191 starvation deaths
-
Araujo says too soon to talk about permanent Liverpool move
-
Eagles star Hurts to miss rest of NFL season: reports
-
US wants to be 'strong partner' for central Asia: Rubio
-
Oil-rich Alberta votes on Canada breakup
-
'Special' to face friend Perez in Champions League, says Liverpool's Iraola
-
Israel announces arrests after West Bank settler attacks on Westerners
-
Monitor says Indonesia fires have burned nearly two million hectares
-
Guehi insists players have 'trust and belief' in Man City after charges
-
French PM says could declare state of emergency over unrest 'if needed'
-
UN climate panel head wants swift end to deadlock over key scientific report
-
Albanian PM warns of 'red line' after days of unrest
-
PM calls for curfews in France as govt grapples with unrest
-
Putin, Xi and Trump could meet at APEC summit: Kremlin
-
Man City's Semenyo out for up to eight weeks
-
Microsoft exits data centre deal in blow to UK AI ambitions
-
Australian lawmaker critically hurt in 'violent' vehicle attack
-
European stocks retreat as France violence spreads
-
England women's coach Wiegman signs two-year contract extension
-
North Korea warns 'grave situation' prevailing along border
-
Louvre blocked as France grapples with unrest
-
Raya proud of Arsenal's 'incredible' reaction after third straight win
-
Bollywood actor Tiger Shroff shot at in Mumbai, three suspects held: police
-
Indonesia fires have burned nearly two million hectares: monitor
-
UN biodiversity summit opens with nature goals off track
-
Australian lawmaker 'critically' hurt in attack, officials say
-
'Physical hell': Hong Kong hosts gruelling underwater hockey tournament
-
Indonesia fires burned over 1.9 mn hectares through September: monitor
-
Police 'lost control' during French protests, says interior minister
-
Asian tech stocks mixed after Wall St losses, eyes on earnings
Stosur primed for Australia captaincy challenge in BJK Cup
Eight-time Grand Slam champion Samantha Stosur is banking on a strong camaraderie within the Australia team to help topple Mexico in her debut as captain at the Billie Jean King Cup.
Stosur was pivotal as a player to Australia reaching the tournament final in 2019 and 2022, but hung up her racquet last year and will make her bow as skipper at Brisbane's Pat Rafter Arena on Friday.
Ranked two to Mexico's 19, Arina Rodionova and Storm Hunter spearhead Australia's singles charge in the qualifier against Giuliana Olmos and Marcela Zacarias respectively.
Doubles world number three Hunter and eighth-ranked Ellen Perez will team up as Australia's combination to meet Olmos and Zacarias in the fifth rubber, after the reverse singles.
Stosur, who finished her playing career with a 39-21 Billie Jean King Cup record, said the team dynamic would be crucial in helping navigate her switch to captain.
"At the end of the day first and foremost they know that I've got their back and we're friends," she said.
"There hasn't been any really tough conversations yet so that's good.
"But when the time comes I think we've all got enough respect for each other."
Stosur won the 2011 US Open and reached a career-high of world number four that year. She is also a four-time Grand Slam doubles and three-time mixed doubles champion.
Rodionova, ranked 103, last opened a Billie Jean King Cup tie against Slovakia in 2016 and faces doubles specialist Olmos as she bids to get Australia off to a winning start.
"Eight years, feels like it was yesterday," said Rodionova.
"Of course, we've had such a strong team the last few years, so it's a great honour to be part of it again."
The winners will seal a place at November's season-ending finals in Seville alongside defending champions Canada, 2023 runners-up Italy, hosts Spain and wildcard Czech Republic.
D.Kaufman--AMWN
