Australia secures place in Billie Jean King Cup qualifiers
Australia’s top ranked female Maya Joint has delivered for her country when they needed it most, producing an impressive fightback to secure her team passage to the next stage of women’s tennis’ biggest team tournament.
Australia has thrived under “a lot of pressure” to return to the Billie Jean King Cup qualifiers next year.
On a rain interrupted day in Hobart, Australia’s two singles stars Kim Birrell and Maya Joint claimed victory over their Brazilian opponents to secure the hosts’ place in the next stage, set to be held in April 2026.
Joint, Australia’s highest ranked women’s tennis star, saved a match point in the second set and went on to defeat Brazilian Laura Pigossi in three sets, 3-6, 7-5, 6-1, to avoid sending the tie to a deciding doubles match.
The 19-year-old said a rain delay helped her regroup after falling behind.
“I kind of needed that break just to kind of think about what I need to do differently to be able to turn the match around,” Joint said.
“I came back out and I knew I needed to bring some energy and that’s what I tried to do and all these girls really helped me, the energy from the sidelines was just insane.
“I mean tennis changes so quickly, just one point here or there really changes the whole match, so after I saved that match point and was able to go back on serve finally in the second set, that really changed the whole thing.
“Then in the third set I just needed to stick with it and I knew that she’s (Pigossi) a fighter and that she was always going to come back, so I needed to stay focused and stay in the moment.”
Australian captain Nicole Pratt said she felt a sense of relief.
“There was a lot of pressure on us being the highest ranked team, so the fact that we did it the way that we did, it was amazing,” Pratt said.
“It was such a classy fighting effort and gritty, I mean we spoke about it where we just have to compete and that’s exactly what Maya did, she didn’t go away.
“She didn’t play her best tennis in the first set but it’s all part of the experience, learning and the more that she’s going to be in these situations, the better and better you’re going to be.”
In the first match on Sunday, Birrell used her experience against Brazilian teenager Nauhany Vitoria Leme Da Silva to claim a 6-4, 3-6, 6-1 victory.
The location of the qualifiers are yet to be announced but Brisbane is expected to bid to host the event.
Brazil teen prodigy sets up showdown with Aussies
Brazil set up Sunday’s winner-takes-all showdown with hosts Australia after a teenage prodigy helped them to a gritty tie Billy Jean King Cup tie win over Portugal at Hobart on Saturday.
Portugal was looking to bounce back after being swept 3-0 by Australia in the first clash of the tournament’s playoff round on Friday, but Brazil dug deep to win tight contests.
It means the victor of Sunday’s Australia-Brazil clash will advance to the next stage of the competition.
In the first match of the tie Brazil’s Nauhany Vitoria Leme Da Silva got her country’s campaign off to a fine start.
The 15-year-old rising star, ranked 672 in the world, showed her undoubted talent with a 7-5 6-4 victory over Portugal’s world no.255 Matilda Jorge.
Earlier this year, da Silva became the first player born in 2010 to win a WTA Tour match at the SP Open in her home country.
Statistically the match was a tight affair, but Da Silva won four of ten break point chances to her opponent’s conversion of 2-7 to seal the straight sets victory.
Brazil’s far more experienced singles player, 31-year-old world no.193 Laura Pigossi, then sealed the tie with another toughly fought two-set win.
Pigossi needed one hour and 42 minutes to fend off Portugal’s Francisca Jorge.
Pigossi converted five of six break points in the key stat of the contest, while she also served at 72 per cent to Jorge’s 51 per cent to prevail.
Sunday’s tie gets underway at 12pm.
Friday: Australia too good for Portugal
Australia is one step closer to winning through to the next round of the Billie Jean King Cup.
The Aussies took an unassailable 2-0 lead after Friday’s singles matches against Portugal to take control of the play-off round which also includes Brazil on a day where Hobart’s wet weather wreaked havoc.
The country’s top ranked female, Maya Joint, gave the hosts the advantage with a hard fought 7-5 7-5 straight sets win over Francisca Jorge in the second match of the day.
It came after Kimberly Birrell gave the Aussies an early 1-0 lead in the tie after overcoming the youngster of the Jorge sisters, Matilde, in straight sets (6-4, 6-4).
Birrell had raced out to a 5-1 lead in the first set before delays started to wreak havoc. Despite Jorge showing some momentum, the Aussie world No. 95 was able to steady.
“Honestly it’s quite easy any time I get to play in the green and gold,” she said in an on court interview post-game.
“I’m so pumped, I’m so excited. It’s been a big year, a long year.
“To finish the year representing Australia is so special.”
Portugal and Brazil will face off on Saturday before the Aussies return to action against the South Americans on Sunday from 12pm.
‘Won’t take anyone lightly’: Aussies cautious of Billie Jean rivals
Australia’s Billie Jean King Cup captain Nicole Pratt is confident her side can earn a spot in the finals for 2026.
The Aussies will be up against powerful South American team Brazil and European powerhouse Portugal.
Pratt said they have had to do their homework.
“I think it’s very much been about trying to make sure we create an environment for each and every player for them to perform the best they can perform on the weekend,” Pratt said.
“We’re sitting here and on paper we are the favourite team, we’ve got the highest ranked players, however we’ve all been around long enough to know that when it comes to these team competitions, a lot of the players elevate beyond their rankings.
“We certainly won’t be taking anyone lightly given the rankings at the moment.”
Australia will take on Portugal on Friday in two singles matches at midday before a doubles match follows.
Maya Joint is Australia’s number one seeded player, ranked number 32 in the world, who will play in the singles but Pratt stayed tight lipped who would be the team’s second.
“We don’t want to show our hand who will be playing the number two singles but that will be at 12 o’clock, that’s our first match, two v two against Portugal,” Pratt said.
“Our number one player is Maya, (she) will be up second after 12 and then our doubles to follow that.
“To simplify it, this is a really important tie for us, we need to win this so we’ve got the opportunity in 2026 to reach the finals.
“There’ll be a tie in April next year against another country and then if you get through that you go onto the final eight, which was just played recently in China in September.”
Gates open at 11am across the weekend with Brazil taking on Portugal on Saturday and Australia taking on Brazil on Sunday.
Why Aussie star sees ‘great potential’ in Billie Jean King squad
Experienced Australian doubles tennis representative Storm Hunter has declared the team set to contest this week’s Billie Jean King Cup play-offs in Hobart has “great potential”.
Australia will take on Portugal and Brazil from Friday afternoon as they aim to return to the main draw of the international women’s teams tennis tournament.
The hosts line-up includes the country’s highest ranked women’s singles player, Maya Joint, debutant Talia Gibson, Kim Birrell, Australia’s highest ranked doubles player Ellen Perez, Hunter and stand-in captain Nicole Pratt, with Sam Stosur away on maternity leave.
Ranked at 33 in the world for the doubles, Hunter said she was determined to see the Aussies return to the big stage.
“I think this team has great potential because we have so many young ones coming through and it’s almost the limit,” Hunter said.
“Obviously, this tie is really important because it’s a playoff tie to get back into the world group qualifying for next year.
“We haven’t been in this situation for a number of years now, so it’s a little bit different and we all know how important it is to win and to try and qualify and get back into it next year.
“This team with Maya (Joint) and Talia as the two young guns, I think it’s really exciting because we haven’t had that youth on the team for quite a few years.”
The playoff will be a “full circle” moment for Hunter who made her Australian debut in Hobart back in 2014.
Now 11 years later, the West Australian has the honour of presenting the team’s newest member, Talia Gibson, with her own jacket.
“It’s super, super special, I got my jacket and my number from Sam Stosur here in Hobart when I was 19-years-old,” Hunter said.
“It was pretty surreal and even to give the jacket and the number to Talia was a full circle moment for me.
“A fellow West Aussie as well, number 59, so for me, it just gave me great reflection on my career representing Australia and where I started as well.
“To be honest, this was all a dream for me as a kid, I didn’t quite think it would happen and just be still on the team 11 years later and kind of being one of the leaders in the older players in the team is really special.”
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