Samantha Stosur, your country really needs you this weekend.
The Australian Fed Cup team’s chances of toppling a potent German unit on clay in Stuttgart appear to rest entirely on the racquet of the 2010 French Open finalist.
The Germans boast three players in the world’s top 16 in Andrea Petkovic (No.11), Angelique Kerber (No.14) and Julia Goerges (No.16).
Although Petkovic has not played for three months because of back stress fractures, US Open semi-finalist Kerber is one of tour’s leading players this year following title wins in Paris and Copenhagen.
Australia does not enjoy such depth in their corner with the nation’s No.2 singles player Jarmila Gajdosova having only notched up two wins over top 100 players in 2012.
Australia’s Fed Cup captain Dave Taylor conceded his players were up against it in their bid to return to the elite eight-nation World Group next year.
“It would be the biggest win of this current team, no doubt,” he said.
“It would be a magnificent win.”
Stosur felt she was finding her groove at the start of the clay court season, spring in Europe tending to be her most fruitful time of the year.
The US Open champion has found the lively court at the Porsche Arena to her liking over the past two years, reaching the final and semi-final respectively at the WTA event held there.
“Overall things are going quite well and I am pretty happy with the way the year has turned out with the obvious exclusion of January,” she said.
Stosur, who is 1-5 against top 20 players this year, is going to have to be at her best unless world No.50 Gajdosova pulls off a stunning turnaround in form.
“If Jarka can put a point on the board that would be an unexpected bonus for us,” Taylor said.
“She is definitely capable of that happening but it is not really something that we can count on.”
One positive for Australia is the Germans have not been able to form a strong doubles team if the tie does go to a deciding rubber.
Germany lost their most recent Fed Cup tie 4-1 to a Petra Kvitova-led Czech Republic on hardcourt in Stuttgart two months ago.
Australia progressed to the World Group playoff with a 4-1 victory over Switzerland in Fribourg.
