Australian Samantha Stosur lost to Germany’s Angelique Kerber in the first round of the Fed Cup. Source: Getty Images
AUSTRALIA’S women have been eliminated from the Fed Cup World Group by Germany for a second straight year.
Samantha Stosur and Jarmila Gajdosova both lost in reverse singles matches in Stuttgart on Sunday to give the hosts an unassailable 3-1 lead in a gruelling best-of-five first-round tie.
Top-ranked Australian Stosur fell 6-2 6-4 to German No. 1 Angelique Kerber before German marathon woman Andrea Petkovic overcame a gallant Jarmila Gajdosova 6-3 3-6 8-6 to secure her second win of the tie and the overall victory.
Australia’s Jarmila Gajdosova lost to Germany’s Andrea Petkovic in the first round of the Fed Cup. Source: Getty Images
Failing to avenge last year’s semi-final loss to the Germans condemns Alicia Molik’s Australian side to World Group playoff in April to fight for a place in the competition’s top tier in 2016.
Australia were unable to capitalise on a perfect start to the indoor hardcourt tie after surprise singles pick Gajdosova upset Kerber in Saturday’s opening singles match.
Stosur then had a match point to make it 2-0 before painfully going down 12-10 in the third set of a three-hour epic against tie hero Petkovic.
Australia's Samantha Stosur reacts during her match against Germany's Angelique Kerber in the FedCup World Group quarterfinal. Source: AFP
The marathon encounter appeared to take some sting out of Stosur’s game as she struggled for timing and made 17 unforced errors against Kerber on Sunday.
After a one-sided first set, a frustrated Stosur fought hard to stay in the second before eventually caving under relentless pressure from the world No. 10.
It continued an unhappy recent Fed Cup run for Stosur, who lost to both Kerber and Petkovic in a 3-1 loss in Brisbane last year.
Germany's Angelique Kerber (right) celebrates with team captain Barbara Rittner after win over Australia's Samantha Stosur. Source: AFP
Gajdosova, looking to repeat a win over Petkovic in Sydney last month, was on course to force a deciding fifth rubber when a break up in the third set after staging another fightback from a set down.
However 12th-ranked Petkovic, showing no ill effects from the tough encounter with Stosur, broke back before securing another gutsy win in just under two hours.
Germany next travel to Russia for a last-four encounter and the chance to reach back-to-back finals.
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