BILLIE JEAN KING CUP

November 8, 2022

Alicia Molik

Storm Sanders

Ellen Perez

Team Australia

Emirates Arena

Press Conference

KUZMOVA-MIHALIKOVA/Perez-Sanders

2-6, 6-3, 10-6

Team Australia - 2

Team Slovakia - 1

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Alicia, just wondering if you could sum up the day from your perspective.

CAPTAIN MOLIK: Yeah, well, we would take this score any day to win the tie against Slovakia. No question our expectations were high today, and we were shooting for the 3-Love win, but real credit to them.

That's the type of tennis that people can play when there is no pressure. In the doubles I feel like their pair were really swinging free, and they were really confident because they had nothing to lose.

But from our perspective, it's a great day. It's a pretty awesome day that we go into next match on Thursday having been an experience winning today.

Q. Ellen and Storm, can you talk about playing a doubles match where you obviously wanted the 3-Love win but the tie is already over. Is that a challenge?

STORM SANDERS: No, for me personally, not. Even though we had technically won the tie, we know that every match counts in the round-robin stages. It is one of those formats that, yeah, every match, every set, everything counts. So we definitely went out there and, yeah, wanted to win.

Yeah, we played a really good first set and, yeah, they kind of picked up their level, kind of started swinging, serving really well. Obviously in doubles with the sudden-death deuce and match tiebreak, it can change really fast. That kind of is what happened. In a super-tiebreak anything can happen.

Yeah, it was a little bit disappointing, but like Mol said, yeah, we won the tie, which is awesome, it's a great day, and we kind of get ready for Thursday now.

Q. Storm and Ajla I think have both described this week as their favorite week of the year. For you as captain, how great is it to have players who buy into this competition so much, what it's like having them as part of your team?

CAPTAIN MOLIK: Well, everyone wants to play. What I do like about this team is that the spots are really competitive, as well. There is a really healthy competition amongst our team.

I think we have learnt to become really versatile, as well. Last year was a real breakout for us with some incredible tennis. We want to go further this year. We believe we can. We've also got players that have the right amount of energy at the back end of the year, too.

It's exciting. We are where we want to be, and then we have the pleasure and the privilege tomorrow of watching our opponents play. Slovakia and Belgium are playing each other tomorrow, which is great for us.

Q. Looking ahead to that tie against Belgium, what do you think will be the key there?

CAPTAIN MOLIK: Look, playing like we played today, you know, having that hunger right from the start in the two singles matches.

We'll have to work out, look at matchups and see who our lineup will be. That's probably first and foremost after reviewing today. We are familiar with them, really familiar with their team, which I feel like if we do play Belgium -- well, we are playing Belgium (smiling) -- I feel like being familiar with players certainly helps, because it helps with our game plan, the matchups.

I say that in singles and doubles. Both Ellen and Storm are very familiar with Mertens. I know she's just arriving really soon, so it's going to be difficult for her to back up, but we have to expect everything.

Q. Ellen, did you just want to summarize your thoughts on the match today?

ELLEN PEREZ: I think for me personally in the doubles, yeah, pretty disappointed with my performance. I felt like I pretty much let the team down out there.

I've got a lot that I feel like I can improve on going forward, but as for the team, I think Storm and Ajla played incredible. They really stepped it up. They were confident out there. They really brought a good energy.

Yeah, I think going forward, I'm really confident in them and looking to really improve on myself.

THE MODERATOR: Alicia, when will you decide who plays on Thursday?

CAPTAIN MOLIK: I think we'll practice tomorrow and then make the call tomorrow night. Definitely the night before we play I think is important for the players to head to bed, you know, knowing what they are about to encounter the next day.

But not today. I think we need to settle and think about today and everyone to relax and enjoy the night, so to speak, in terms of just not thinking too far ahead. I don't want minds racing. So after practice tomorrow.