Great Britain given Austrian lesson in Fed Cup
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Great Britain’s Fed Cup promotion hopes are all but-over after they were soundly defeated by Austria in their second group D tie in Portugal.
Despite cruising to a 3-0 win over Bosnia-Hercegovina on Wednesday, Nigel Sears’ side found their fortunes reversed against Austria, who are almost certain to progress to Saturday’s play-off even if they lose to Bosnia in their final Fed Cup group tie on Friday.
On her return to competitive action after six months out with a knee injury, Anne Keothavong was soundly beaten 6-2, 6-2 by world No.107 Patricia Mayr in a repeat of her first round loss to the 23-year-old at last year’s Wimbledon championships.
In similar vain, British No.1 Elena Baltacha was unable to find the form that had seen her defeat world No.32 Keteryna Bondarenko to reach the third round of the Australian Open, losing 6-3, 6-3 to Sybille Bammer. The Scot had beaten the world No.50 in their sole previous meeting on the clay of Biarritz in 2004, but failed to fare as well on the hard courts of Portugal’s Estadio National.
Reacting to his decision to put Keothavong in the firing line on her return from six-months on the sidelines, British captain Nigel Sears said: “It was a lot to ask from Annie. I took a risk putting her in after being out for a long time, but she had been playing so well in practice I thought it was worth the risk.
“Unfortunately she couldn’t come up with it today, although Mayr played very well. It was a risk I took that didn’t come off.
Sears praised an Austrian side who have dropped just a solitary doubles rubber so far in Group D.
“It’s a reflection of the strength of the Austrian team that they’ve won both singles against Belarus and us. I think the girls gave it their very best.”
Topping the group after their two opening wins, Austria are set to progress to Saturday’s play-off even if they slump to an unlikely defeat to Bosnia, hoping to be one of two winning nations of the play-off pools to progress to the World Group II play-offs on the 24-25 April.
While Great Britiain’s hopes of a play-off spot are all but over after their Austrian defeat, they will face a Belarusian side containing world No.6 Victoria Azarenka on Friday.
The 20-year-old Aussie Open quarter-finalist is competing in the Fed Cup under a cloud, having forfeited her opening match after just one set, complaining of a sore throat.
