By Tennis Now | Saturday, April 20, 2019
Ash Barty beat former No. 1 Victoria Azarenka, 7-6 (2), 6-3, to level host Australia with Belarus, 1-1, in the Fed Cup semifinals in Brisbane and set up a Sunday battle of No. 1 players.
Photo credit: Fed Cup Facebook
Ashleigh Barty calls Fed Cup one of her favorite weeks on the calendar.
The Australian No. 1 continues to be a formidable Fed Cup player.
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A sharp Barty beat former No. 1 Victoria Azarenka, 7-6 (2), 6-3, to level host Australia with Belarus, 1-1, in the Fed Cup semifinals in Brisbane and set up a Sunday battle of No. 1 players.
Belarusian No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka stopped a determined Samantha Stosur, 7-5, 5-7, 6-3, in a two hour, 47-minute tussle to open the tie.
Sabalenka withstood 12 aces from the former US Open champion converting nine of 22 break-point chances.
The 77th-ranked Stosur served for the first set at 5-4 before Sabalenka surged through five straight games to take the opening set and seize a break lead in the second set.
"It was an unbelievable match,’’ Sabalenka told Fed Cup.com afterward. "She played an unbelievable level. I’m so happy that we showed this kind of level. “She played so quick and I couldn’t touch a ball from her returns.
"I just tried my best on her serves. When we play for our country, we don’t have choices. We just have to try our best and fight to the end. It is great to start the semifinal with the win and I hope we can get one more."
Miami Open champion Barty stepped up to the challenge against Azarenka.
Barty served 67 percent, hit seven aces and saved eight of the 11 break points she faced in a one hour, 41-minute victory. It was her 11th consecutive Fed Cup victory.
The opening-day results set up a blockbuster battle between national No. 1s as Barty will face Sabalenka in Sunday's opening reverse singles. Sabalenka has won two of three meetings with Barty with all three contested on hard court.
Australian captain Alicia Molik could insert Daria Gavrilova to start the fourth singles match against Azarenka.
Barty, who reached the Miami doubles semifinals partnering Azarenka, is scheduled to partner Stosur in doubles against Belarus' Vera Lapko and Lidziya Marozava though both captains can change their doubles nominations.
The winner of the Australia vs. Belarus semifinal will face either Romania or France in the Fed Cup final set for November 9-10th.
Belarus is bidding for its second final in the last three years, while seven-time Fed Cup champion Australia is aiming to reach its first final since falling to Spain in 1993.