Fed Cup: Barty with tears and fight announcement
After the lost Fed Cup final, the defeated Australians compete for the world number one Ashleigh Barty from their frustration and to look positively into the future.
by Robert M. Frank
last edit: Nov 10, 2019, 09:03 pm
It had been the ninth attempt in a Fed Cup final for Azstralien for the past 44 years in 2019. And for the ninth time in a row, the Australians were in a Fed Cup final match the cup still on the finish line. This time from the French, who had the lead in the final in Perth 3: 2 ahead. The more intense the joy with the French women around the used players Kristina Mladenovic, Carolina Garcia, Pauline Parmentier was, the more strongly the disappointment with the hostesses turned out. Ashleigh Barty, who had lost the deciding double against Garcia / Maldenovic together with Samantha Stosur , shed tears of disappointment at the award ceremony.
The world number one, who had lost their individual against Mladenovic in the home game against a record crowd of 14,000 spectators, first tried to digest the bitter defeat. "I think you can see how much it means to us all and obviously it's bitterly disappointing to be sitting here, we all looked forward to it for six months," the 23-year-old said.
"We take the tithing"
The reigning Roland Garros winner tried to gain something positive from the pain of the defeat and to look ahead optimistically. "It was an amazing trip, to be in a Fed Cup final is something very valuable, we will appreciate it and it will drive us more for the next year, and for me it is incredible to play in front of nearly 14,000 Australians and it's a really, really special time of my life, "said Barty.
26 years ago last in the final stood - 1993 ended the last lost final of the Australians in Frankfurt against Spain 0: 3 - it was incumbent next flagship player Barty and team captain Alicia Molik, the bankruptcy. "We gave everything today. We came only a fraction too short. That happens, "said Molik. The team captain, like Barty, looked fiercely into the future with a possible next attempt. "We take the tithing, I assure you," announced Molik combative.