Australia has suffered a defeat in the first match of its Billie Jean King Cup encounter against Great Britain, with Talia Gibson, the leading Australian player, losing to 17-year-old Mika Stojsavljevic in straight sets.

Gibson found herself in a challenging position, dropping the first set in a tiebreak and trailing 2-5 in the second before making a commendable comeback to equalize at 5-5. However, the British player, currently ranked 56th in the world, ultimately outperformed Gibson, securing the victory with scores of 7-6(4) and 7-5 at the John Cain Arena in Melbourne.

This outcome gives Great Britain a 1-0 advantage in the tie, with another singles match scheduled for Friday.

Later today, Kimberly Birrell will aim to bring Australia back into contention when she competes against Harriet Dart.