TENNIS in DEPTH.

Australia v Switzerland.
Mildura Lawn Tennis Club, Mildura, Australia (grass-outdoors)

World No. 31 Sam Stosur will get Australia’s bid for a return to World Group II of Fed Cup by BNP Paribas when she takes on Switzerland’s Amra Sadikovic, ranked over 450 places below her in Saturday’s opening singles rubber.

The draw, which took place on a local paddle steamer then paired Jelena Dokic with Stefanie Voegele in the second rubber.

Play gets under way at 1300 local time (0300 GMT) on Saturday and the full draw for the tie is as follows:

Saturday
Samantha Stosur (AUS) v Amra Sadikovic (SUI)
Jelena Dokic (AUS) v Stefanie Voegele (SUI)

Sunday
Samantha Stosur (AUS) v Stefanie Voegele (SUI)
Jelena Dokic (AUS) v Amra Sadikovic (SUI)
Samantha Stosur/Rennae Stubbs (AUS) v Mateja Kraljevic/Stefanie Voegele (SUI)

SAM Stosur is thrilled to have the chance to get Australia off to a flying start in the Fed Cup clash against Switzerland starting tomorrow.

Stosur, ranked 31 in the world, has been drawn to meet lowly-ranked teenager Amra Sadikovic in the opening singles match in the World Group II play-off.

Jelena Dokic, ranked 71, faces 19-year-old Stefanie Voegele _ touted as a potential star _ in the second match.

The reverse singles and the doubles will be played on Sunday against a under-strength Swiss team missing the services of their leading player Patty Schnyder.

Stosur comes into the tie fresh from an impressive start to 2009, where she reached the third round of the Australian Open and the quarter-finals of the Miami tournament.

In Florida, Stosur claimed the scalps of Russian world No.2 Dinara Safina and former Australian Open and Wimbledon champ Amelie Mauresmo.

“I’m happy to be playing first,” Stosur said.

“There’s probably a little less pressure for me this time around, playing the first match but I hope to get the team off to a good start and win and see if Jelena can carry on from that.

“I’m healthy and fit and I’ve been playing pretty well and I’m feeling confident this weekend.”

She said the players had adapted well to the grass surface after returning from the US.

And she warned she was at her peak and ready to take aim at the top 10.

“Yes, I think so,” said Stosur.

“Even last year I played some matches where I thought I was at my best.

“Now it’s a matter of doing that week in week out and making your good level that little bit better and your bad level not so bad.”

Dokic, who made a heart-stopping run to the quarter-finals of the year’s Australian Open after a four-year break from the game, has suffered from physical and mental exhaustion in recent weeks, but said she was now feeling fit again.

She lost to top-seeded Caroline Wozniacki 6-1 6-2 in the first round at Memphis but had regrouped enough to force the Danish star to three sets before losing in the second round recently in Miami.

“I’ve only played three tournaments since the Australian Open and two of those I lost to a top 10 player,” Dokic said.

“There’s nothing bad in that. I think in Miami already I played a little bit better, had a good win in the first round, so slowly I’m getting there.

“It’s a completely different view for me because for four years I wasn’t there, I wasn’t playing but the Australian Open took a lot out of me.

“But I’m getting there, the season is very long still and we have probably the busiest part of the season coming up now.”

Veteran doubles specialist Rennae Stubbs said the current Australian squad was the strongest she had been involved with for a very long time.

“Now with Jelena back in the frame and with Sam having such a great year as well it’s exciting being a part of getting us out of where we should not be,” she said as Australia bids for promotion to the World Group play-offs.

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