Friendly fire for Barty, Azarenka in Fed Cup as Halep eyes final place

Ashleigh Barty will be overjoyed when doubles partner and two-time major winner Victoria Azarenka returns to the peak of her powers but hopes it won't be this weekend when Australia and Belarus clash for a place in the Fed Cup final.

Barty and Azarenka teamed up this season, making the doubles semi-finals at the prestigious Miami Open just days before the Australian clinched the singles title, a breakthrough which propelled her into the world's top 10.

Now Barty leads Australia's hopes of reaching a first Fed Cup final since 1993 when they face 2017 runners up Belarus in Brisbane on Saturday and Sunday.

And the pair have been selected to meet each other in the second singles rubber, with Azarenka preferred to her higher-ranked teammate Aliaksandra Sasnovich.

Australia also opted for experience, with former US Open champion Samantha Stosur, who made her Fed Cup debut back in 2003, a surprise pick to open the tie, rather than Daria Gavrilova, against world number 10 Aryna Sabalenka.

"She's obviously a player who loves the pressure situation," Barty said of 29-year-old Azarenka, ranked 61, who is no stranger to success "Down Under" having won the 2012 and 2013 Australian Open titles.

"The tighter it gets, the better she gets. I'm sure it won't be long before she's back to her very best once again."
"I think we've got more than a good chance of winning."
- 'Little miracle' -
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"She was pretty relaxed in the past and not so stressed like us now."
Semi-finals
At Rouen (indoor, clay)
France v Romania
At Brisbane (outdoor, hard)