Tennis: Australia loses Fed Cup tie to Ukraine

Australia's women tennis players suffered a shock loss to Ukraine. Photo / Getty Images

Australia's women tennis players suffered a shock loss to Ukraine on Sunday to be dumped from the elite Fed Cup World Group.

Ukraine won the play-off tie 3-2 to send Australia back to the lower tier World Group II.

Scores were level after the two reverse singles rubbers on Sunday, with Ukraine taking the crucial doubles rubber in three sets on a clay court in Melbourne.

World No.30 Jarmila Groth gave Australia a 2-1 edge on the final day with a 6-1 6-3 win over Lesia Tsurenko.

However, Ukraine's Olga Savchuk levelled the tie when she beat Anastasia Rodionova 7-6 (7-3) 7-6 (14-12).

In the doubles, Australia got off to a flying start, winning the first set 6-0 before Ukraine battled back to win the match and the tie with a 0-6 7-6 (7-3) 6-3 victory.

Despite the decision of world No.6 Sam Stosur to skip the tie to prepare for the French Open, Australia was confident of winning and captain David Taylor said they were devastated to be sent reeling out of the World Group by just one point.

"I guess we'd hoped to win it in the singles and we realistically didn't think it would come down to the doubles," Taylor said.

"We still obviously played well enough to win the tie, having two match points (in the second set of the doubles).

"But it's a fine line - you're a point away from competing for the Fed Cup and now we're fighting for our Fed Cup lives again.

"If Sam came back into the team and Jarka (Groth) keeps improving, you (would have been) a chance to win the whole Fed Cup.

"Now we're just trying to get back into the world group. One point can mean the difference and that's very hard to accept at this stage.

"They played a little bit freer and possibly they had a really great attitude from start to finish and they got a reward for that."

Taylor said he could not expect Stosur and Jelena Dokic (who pulled out with exhaustion) to play "every week of the year and we still had a good enough team to win and we didn't.

"Did we miss them? Yes, possibly but Jarka really led the team well and still had a good enough team to win without them."

Australia was kept afloat by Groth's form over the two days.

"I played very well, I had a very solid game - aggressive when I had to be and I served and returned very well," Groth said.

"I had a good preparation and I thought I had been playing well most of the year."

Taylor said the decision to play on clay ahead of the European clay court season was only "logical" and it would have been a "tough sell" to play on grass or hardcourt.

- AAP