Stojsavljevic, 17, set for Billie Jean King Cup debut

Mika Stojsavljevic will make her Billie Jean King Cup debut for Great Britain in this week's qualifying tie against Australia at the age of 17.

The 2024 US Open junior champion will play Talia Gibson, who is ranked over 200 places above her, in the opening singles of the best-of-five match tie in Melbourne.

"It means everything to me," Stojsavljevic told the LTA.

"I'm very excited to be here and I've really enjoyed the first couple of days with the team so far.

"I still remember where I was (when she got the call). I had just finished in the gym when she (captain Anne Keothavong) called me and honestly, I couldn't believe it.

"I had been told there was a chance but when I actually got the confirmation, I was really excited."

Stojsavljevic only took her GCSEs last summer, and was sitting exams in the same week she competed at the WTA event in Nottingham in June.

A graduate of the LTA’s National Academy in Loughborough, Stojsavljevic is currently studying English Literature and Politics at A-Level while competing on the ITF World Tennis Tour.

She enjoyed early success last autumn by reaching three finals in a row.

Having finished runner-up at a $35,000 (£26,000) event in Tunisia, Stojsavljevic won a tournament of the same level in Birmingham before reaching the final of a $100,000 (£75,000) event in Wrexham the following week.

The world number 275 was named in captain Anne Keothavong’s original team, and her chances of playing increased notably last week when Sonay Kartal pulled out with a back injury.

GB currently has four players inside the world's top 100, but the absence of Emma Raducanu, Kartal, Katie Boulter and Fran Jones makes them heavy underdogs for the tie.

The winners will earn a place in September’s eight-team finals in Shenzhen, while the losers face a play-off in November.

Harriet Dart will play Kimberly Birrell in Friday's second singles, with a doubles and two reverse singles to follow on Saturday.

Saturday’s doubles - in the John Cain Arena at Melbourne Park - will feature Australia‘s top 20 doubles players Storm Hunter and Ellen Perez against Dart and Jodie Burrage, although captains can make changes up to an hour before the start.

The reverse singles are likely to feature Dart against Gibson before a potential deciding rubber between Stojsavljevic and Birrell.

Katie Swan is also in Melbourne with the British team, and Australia could call on a 17-year-old of their own, as Emerson Jones is the fifth member of their squad.

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