Storm Sanders has finally run out of wonders as Australia's tennis women succumbed at the last hurdle in their bid to become Billie Jean King Cup champions in Glasgow.

Seeking to win the women's team tournament for the first time in 48 years and watched by the legend for whom the tournament is named, Alicia Molik's team were soundly defeated in the final 2-0 by Switzerland.

In a repeat of last year's semi-final, the indefatigable Sanders battled heroically against injuries and evident weariness before losing 6-3, 4-6, 6-3 to fellow left-hander Jil Teichmann at the Emirates Arena.

The defeat left Australian number one Ajla Tomljanović with too high a mountain to climb as she then found Swiss counterpart Belinda Bencic a class above in a 6-2, 6-1 defeat.

It earned the Swiss their first-ever victory in the team competition previously known as the Federation Cup and Fed Cup, as the frustrating wait goes on for Australia after they lost their 10th consecutive final since Evonne Goolagong led them to a triumph over the US in Naples in 1974.

The tie did not even come down to a deciding doubles, leaving 38-year-old veteran Sam Stosur without the chance to crown her stellar career with the prize she had so long coveted after 19 years in the competition.

In their second defeat in a final in four editions, this one at least did not have the quite the agonising feel of the Perth showdown against the French, which France won 3-2 with a crushing win in the doubles.

The silver lining for Australia was Sanders, who has been the revelation of the week, defying her deceptive singles ranking of 237 with a series of superb performances to put higher-ranked players to the sword.

But seeking a sixth victory in Glasgow, she was left struggling with two leg injuries and needed courtside treatment during her defeat.