Australia's aspirations of securing their inaugural Billie Jean King Cup title in half a century were dashed on Sunday as they were defeated 2-0 by Slovakia. The crushing loss began when Kimberly Birrell succumbed to a grueling three-set match against Slovakia's Viktoria Hruncakova, which lasted over two and a half hours. Birrell's defeat was followed by Australian No. 1 Ajla Tomljanovic's struggle with a left leg injury, resulting in a swift 6-1, 6-2 dismantling by the in-form Rebecca Sramkova.

"Obviously, it's disappointing," remarked Sam Stosur, the Australian captain. "Kim was very close to winning that first match, which would have been great. It was a high-quality match. Unfortunately, being down 1-0 was tough, and Ajla's struggle from 4-0 was evident. It's not the scenario you want when your top player is clearly hampered."

Despite their last title win in 1974, Australia has been a formidable force in recent Billie Jean King Cup competitions, reaching the finals in 2019 and 2022. Tomljanovic led the 2022 team to a comfortable victory over Slovakia. This year, however, Slovakia pulled off a significant upset by defeating the heavily favored United States team 2-1 on Friday.

Slovakia's captain, Matej Lipak, made a strategic decision to replace Renata Jamrichova with Hruncakova in singles, a move that paid off as Hruncakova delivered 15 aces and secured a crucial victory. "It's strategy," Lipak explained. "I know my players well and made the right choice. I'm pleased with the outcome and what I expect from them in these matches."

Tomljanovic's ongoing struggle with a lower left leg injury, sustained in the final weeks of her season, was evident. Despite her efforts, she couldn't match Sramkova's form. "It didn't feel good," Tomljanovic admitted. "Having a previous injury, it's never easy when something goes wrong. I always bounce back, but today was tough, especially not wanting to let my teammates down."

Slovakia now awaits either Great Britain or Canada in the semi-finals, presenting a significant opportunity for the remaining teams. "We've beaten another big country, and I'm proud of our team and country," Lipak said. "For us, it means a lot, and I'm happy."

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