Britain on Cusp of Billie Jean King Cup Victory as Stojsavljevic Stuns Higher-Ranked Opponent

Great Britain moved within one win of securing a spot in the Billie Jean King Cup Finals, thanks to impressive victories by Mika Stojsavljevic and Harriet Dart over their Australian counterparts in Melbourne. Stojsavljevic, ranked 275th in the world, pulled off a stunning upset against world No 65 Talia Gibson, winning 7-6 (7-4) 7-5 in her Billie Jean King Cup debut. The 17-year-old, who is the 2024 US Open junior champion, overcame a 219-place difference in the WTA rankings to give Britain a perfect start in the qualifiers. Stojsavljevic took the opening set in a tie-break and then successfully defended five break points before closing out a thrilling second set that included five breaks of serve. 'It feels amazing. I'm still in shock,' Stojsavljevic said after the match. 'I had fantastic support from the crowd, which helped me get through.' Dart then battled back from a set down to defeat Kiimberly Birrell 4-6 6-3 6-3, leaving Britain requiring just one win from the remaining three matches to qualify for the finals in Shenzhen, China. 'I'm thrilled to have secured the win after Mika's incredible performance earlier,' Dart said. 'It was a tough match with many ups and downs, but I managed to find a way to win in the end.' Britain's chances of advancing to the finals will be decided when Dart teams up with Jodie Burrage in Saturday's doubles rubber against Storm Hunter and Ellen Perez.