Stuttgart, Germany---Australia got off to a good start in Saturday's Fed Cup World Group I tie against hosts Germany as Jamila Gajdosova dug deep to come from behind and beat Angelique Kerber.
The 27-year-old Gajdosova bounced back from losing the first set to claim a 4-6, 6-2, 6-4 win at Stuttgart's Porsche Arena over Germany's top player Kerber, ranked 10th in the world.
Slovakia-born Gajdosova, ranked 54th, took advantage of the German enduring an off day and needed just an hour, 49 minutes to put Australia 1-0 up against the 2014 Fed Cup finalists.
Australia captain Alicia Molik made a surprise call for the indoor hard court first-round tie by picking Gajdosova over higher-ranked Casey Dellacqua to join Sam Stosur in the opening singles.
But Gajdosova, whose ranking had plummeted in 2013 after battling a debilitating illness, repaid the faith with an assured display.
In Saturday's second singles rubber, 2011 US Open winner Stosur faces Andrea Petkovic.
AFP
