British teenager Mika Stojsavljevic pulled off a surprise victory over Australia's Talia Gibson to give Great Britain a 2-0 lead in their Billie Jean King Cup qualifier in Melbourne. The 17-year-old, ranked 275th in the world, defeated the in-form Gibson 7-6 (7-4), 7-5 at John Cain Arena on Friday.
Stojsavljevic, the 2024 US Open junior champion, fired 12 aces and saved five break points in a crucial game to seal the win. Gibson, the world number 56, had been expected to win after recent victories over five top-20 players, but struggled with nerves on her BJK Cup debut.
Harriet Dart then beat Kimberly Birrell 4-6, 6-3, 6-3 to put Great Britain on the brink of victory. The tie continues on Saturday with the doubles, where Australia's Storm Hunter and Ellen Perez must win to keep their hopes alive.
Australia are missing their four best players and now face an uphill battle to reach the Finals in China in September.
