Alicia Molik suffers sad end to Aussie tennis captaincy stint after BJK Cup flop

Alicia Molik's final act as Australia's Billie Jean King (BJK) Cup captain has ended in despair after the Aussies were eliminated from the tennis teams competition in heartbreaking fashion. Molik's ladies had to win against Kazakhstan to have any chance of progressing to the next round, but despite taking out the tie 2-1 it proved in vain.

Not even the unbeaten heroics of Storm Hunter - who flew in to Spain straight from Mexico where she took out the doubles crown at the WTA Finals - was enough to prevent the Aussies from bowing out. Molik was still clinging to hope the Aussies could progress after the tie against Kazakhstan, despite being told it was mathematically impossible for Australia to go through.

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The 42-year-old - who revealed this would be her last BJK Cup after a 10-year reign as Australia captain - was told before her press conference that regardless of what happened in Friday's Slovenia-Kazakhstan tie, the Aussies couldn't go through. However, Molik said she would "triple cross-check" with the match referee, before accepting Australia's fate.

“I feel really content moving on, because there is a next stage for me, but I have given it everything I feel that I possibly could have”, Molik said in the post-match press conference. Doubles pair Ellen Perez and Hunter, who had earlier won their rubber to secure Australia's 2-1 win in the tie, both teared up at the realisation it was Molik's last hurrah.

Jet-lagged Storm Hunter shines for Australia

Hunter was undoubtedly the star for Molik's Aussie side, having landed in Spain - without her luggage - less than two hours before her first singles victory. The doubles World No.1 beat Anna Danilina 7-6 (7-2) 6-4 in the singles and then teamed up with Perez to deliver the crucial 6-1 4-6 (10-5) win over Danilina and Yulia Putintseva in the decisive doubles.

Molik had overhauled her singles line-up to promote World No.155 Hunter and Aussie No.1 Kim Birrell after veterans Daria Saville and Ajla Tomljanovic suffered straight-set defeats in Australia's opening-day 2-1 loss to Slovenia. Birrell failed to overcome a nervy first set in which she served five double faults, as she went down to Putintseva 6-0 7-5.

The Kazakhs changed their doubles lineup to include their lynchpin Putintseva, but Hunter and Perez - the doubles runner-up at the WTA Finals - proved too formidable. It was another incredible display from a jet-lagged Hunter, who only arrived in Seville 90 minutes before her opening singles rubber, following an 18-hour flight from Cancun.

The 29-year-old was also the standout for Molik's Aussies on their way to last year's BJK Cup final in Glasgow. Unfortunately the goal to go one better in 2023 didn't pan out for Molik, who also took the Aussies to the final in 2019.

Alicia Molik looks back on Aussie career fondly

The disappointment of this year aside, Molik has guided Australia to at least the semi-finals in each of the last three editions of the BJK Cup. The 42-year-old, who also represented her country in what was formerly known as the Fed Cup, says the friendships forged with her national teammates are the ones she will cherish the most.

“For me, it was always a highlight playing for Australia. Often, it's the memories of Fed Cups and Billie Jean King Cups that stick in my mind the strongest when I think about the Tour," she said. “I'm retired now from playing, but when I think about all the most important or most enjoyable times that I had, they were always amongst the team. A lot of fun, funny times. I’m lucky to have those. That will live on.

“A lot of those relationships from Fed Cup helped form who I was as a player. They are always the friendships that I relied on through the Tour years.

“I feel like that’s what the players have now amongst each other. That’s something they have created. It’s a real privilege to be involved with this group of women, because I really reflect on a lot of other nations, and I don’t think that the relationships are as thick as what they are within the Australian team. It’s true and it’s honest.

“I’ll still be big supporters of these women, because they are genuine. They’re very good friends of mine. I just can’t want to see what’s in store for them.”

with AAP

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