Britain On Verge of Billie Jean King Cup Victory as Stojsavljevic Stuns Australia

Teenage sensation Mika Stojsavljevic and Harriet Dart have propelled a depleted Great Britain to the brink of victory over Australia in Melbourne, putting them one win away from advancing to the Billie Jean King Cup Finals. Stojsavljevic, ranked 275th in the world, pulled off a stunning upset against world No 65 Talia Gibson, winning 7-6 (7-4) 7-5 on her debut in the competition. The 17-year-old, who is the 2024 US Open junior champion, gave Britain a dream start in the qualifiers, overcoming a 219-place difference in the WTA rankings. Stojsavljevic initially took a 3-1 lead but required a tie-break to claim the first set, before defending five break points and ultimately closing out a tumultuous second set that featured five breaks of serve. Following her remarkable win, Stojsavljevic expressed her elation, stating, 'It feels amazing. I'm grateful for the incredible support from the sidelines, which helped me get through the match.' Britain's team, led by Anne Keothavong, is competing without key players Emma Raducanu, Sonay Kartal, Katie Boulter, and Fran Jones. Stojsavljevic's victory was followed by Harriet Dart's hard-fought win over Kiimberly Birrell, 4-6 6-3 6-3, leaving Britain needing just one more win from the remaining three matches to qualify for the finals in Shenzhen, China. Dart will team up with Jodie Burrage in Saturday's doubles rubber against Storm Hunter and Ellen Perez, aiming to complete the tie for Britain.