‘We all cried’: Australia overcome injury blow with huge Paris ramifications

Thrust into the fray at the last minute, Daria Saville has produced one of her most emphatic performances since announcing her comeback from a third serious injury – sending an ominous warning to her forthcoming rivals in the process.

Answering an SOS into Australia’s Billie Jean King Cup fold after doubles star Storm Hunter suffered a ruptured Achilles tendon on Thursday afternoon, Saville was unstoppable en route to a 6-1, 6-0 triumph over Mexico’s Marcela Zacarias at Brisbane’s Pat Rafter Arena.

Storm Hunter is unlikely to take part in Australia’s Billie Jean King Cup finals campaign, should they prevail in Saturday’s final fixtures with Mexico.Credit: Getty Images

An early break set the tone for the 30-year-old, who from that point on was relentless – mixing up her game with a series of powerful ground strokes, deft touches at the net and deep court lob shots of pure class.

Before Friday’s victory, Saville had compiled a mixed bag of results since returning from a second ACL rupture at Wimbledon last year – a quarterfinal appearance at the San Diego Open offset by a pair of exits in the qualifiers at the Abu Dubai Open and Hua Hin Championships.

But the former world No.20 revealed it was the heartbreak of witnessing Hunter forced to withdraw from the event, ending a career-best run of form, that has proven the catalyst to rediscover her best tennis again.

“I think there’s always things to grow on, and that’s the beauty of our sport. Today was a great performance and I just want to build on that,” Saville said.

“I still have a goal of coming back to my best ranking, which was top 20, so I have a great team around me and I feel like I’m supported in my dreams and I have the belief and I’m healthy.

Daria Saville was at her best in her Billie Jean King Cup tie on Friday in Brisbane.Credit: Getty

“Yesterday with what happened with Storm it gave me a perspective, now I’m kind of motivated even more, like this can happen and this has happened to me.

“Whenever I come back, the first tournaments I’m super excited and motivated, but then it’s kind of like you get back to routine and you probably take a few things for granted.

“Now that it happened to my best friend, I really can’t take anything for granted.”

Saville’s performance followed a fighting comeback from Arina Rodionova against doubles specialist Giuliana Olmos, giving Australia a 2-0 lead heading into Saturday’s decisive fixtures.

Team Australia Daria Saville, Arina Rodionova, Storm Hunter, Ellen Perez, Taylah Preston and Captain Sam Stosur during the Official Draw at Howard Smith Wharves ahead of the Billie Jean King Cup tie between Australia and Mexico at Pat Rafter Arena on April 11, 2024 in Brisbane, Australia. Credit: Getty

Rodionova, who declared the team had been motivated to perform on behalf of Hunter after “we all cried several times”, fought from a set down and an evenly poised second set to embark on a breathtaking momentum swing in which she won nine of the last 10 games.

Early on the 34-year-old was guilty of making a series of unforced errors which opened the door for Olmos to orchestrate a shock upset.

But she rebounded brilliantly courtesy of some composed conversations with captain Sam Stosur, who instructed her to stay in each point and her Mexican rival would eventually present chances to strike.

Stosur admitted she remained unsure on who would now replace Hunter in Saturday’s doubles, resigned to the fact that the 29-year-old would not only miss the Billie Jean King Cup’s finals in November but the Paris Olympics.

Australia captain Sam Stosur is resigned to being without Storm Hunter for the Billie Jean King Cup finals in November.Credit: Fiona Hamilton / Tennis Australia

The Rockhampton product, a former world No.1 in doubles [currently No.3], would have entered the Games as one of Australia’s leading medal prospects, but will now require surgery before undergoing rehabilitation.

“It’s devastating … for something like that to happen at any time, but obviously it’s an Olympic year and she’s one of the best doubles players in the world,” Stosur said.

“You’d think teaming up with whoever, she was going to be a shot for a medal there. It’s not just this weekend, it’s just a small part of what now she’s going to have to sit out for a miss out on.

“Emotionally I think it’s very hard at this point in time. I think first things first, she’s got to go through the next step now whatever that may be with the doctor and the results of last night’s scan.

“But I think chances are she’s not going to be there [for the BJK Cup finals], which is obviously devastating for her but obviously for us as a team.

“But she needs to get healthy before she works about coming back to competition.”

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