Stosur's Cup selection dilemma as Australia eye finals

Spearheaded by former Wimbledon champion and 2023 Australian Open runner-up Elena Rybakina, Kazakhstan shape as a particularly big threat at Pat Rafter Arena.

Picking who to joust with the world No.10 will likely be causing Stosur plenty of angst ahead of the best-of-three-rubber tie.

At least the skipper has options.

After starting the summer without a singles player in the world's top 100, Australia now have five.

New import Daria Kasatkina, the world No.14, is still ineligible after only switching allegiances last month from Russia, while the 98th-ranked Olivia Gadecki was not selected for the qualifiers.

Stosur is instead pondering the practise form of Queensland favourite Kim Birrell, rookie teenage prodigy Maya Joint, veteran Ajla Tomljanovic and returning star Storm Hunter, who is on the comeback trail from a ruptured Achilles tendon.

Enjoying a career-high ranking of No.61 in the world after a dazzling six months and six recent wins in Miami and Indian Wells, Birrell is tipped to take one singles spot.

The Gold Coaster also won an ITF event in February at the Brisbane International Centre.

Joint, also up to a best ranking yet of 78, is hoping to make the leap from Australia's orange girl at last year's finals in Malaga to winning debutant following her own breakout run.

"I'm really grateful to be part of this. To be able to win as a team, I think, means more than just winning for yourself," the 18-year-old said.

"I'm not sure what's going to happen, but I'm excited to see. I've been playing well this week and had some great practises here. We've all been playing very well."

Tomljanovic sits just one spot below Joint at 79th in the rankings as the 31-year-old continues her revival after missing more than a year with a serious knee injury.

The versatile Hunter looms as a potential singles and doubles option, while doubles specialist Ellen Perez rounds out Stosur's five-strong team.

Eight teams will advance to the finals in China in November.