The new and old of Australian women's tennis must combine for a perfect Fed Cup Sunday if the on-the-ropes hosts are to turn a 0-2 deficit into an unlikely victory in the world group play-off against the US. 
But captain Alicia Molik has backed her vanquished singles duo to return and force a deciding fifth doubles rubber.
"No question we'd prefer to be at one-all at worst, but it is what it is, and we have been there before, we know the feeling," Molik said after opening day losses to debutante Daria Gavrilova and veteran Sam Stosur - the latter also set to combine in doubles with Casey Dellacqua should the tie go the distance.
"It is about regrouping and I think believing and trusting ourselves tomorrow. [The Americans'] confidence is going to be sky high, but I think Dasha and Sam can rise to the level tomorrow. No question Sam's disappointed about today, but it's an enormous task for us. I think one positive is when we get it to the doubles, and when it boils down to the doubles, we won our live rubber [in the previous tie in Slovakia], so I have full trust in our doubles team when we get that far, not if."
Gavrilova was overpowered 6-4, 6-2 and 28 winners to four by US No.1 Madison Keys in her first match for her adopted nation, in an opening result that came as no great surprise. More critical was Stosur's 3-6, 6-1, 7-5 loss to 57th-ranked Christina McHale, the Queenslander losing her way in the second set.
Stosur was unbeaten in four previous matches against McHale, who vindicated captain Mary Jo Fernandez's surprise decision to select her ahead of CoCo Vandeweghe by claiming her first Fed Cup victory since 2012. Stosur has still won just seven matches in Brisbane in the eight-year life of its Tennyson tennis complex, although this was the first she had played in her home state on purpose-built clay.
"I played well for the most part - unfortunately got a couple of short balls in that game at five-all and kind of screwed 'em all up, so that was unfortunately not the way to end the match," said Stosur, who was confident she could recover emotionally for the first reverse singles against the big-hitting Keys.
"I've got a great team around me so we'll do everything that we need to do and I'll be prepared for that match at 11 o'clock, for sure. We all know that Dash and I are probably going to be a little bit down tonight and a little bit disappointed, but we've got no choice but to come back tomorrow and do it all over again."
Gavrilova, meanwhile, was determined to learn from her first Fed Cup match. "I expected a big ball, but she played really well, she was pretty much on from the first point and she showed it even in the five minute warm-up that she wanted it, so all credit to her," said the world No.39.
Linda Pearce travelled with the assistance of the Fed Cup Foundation and Tennis Australia.