Canada Shocks Czechia, Makes History by Reaches Billie Jean King Cup Final

CANADA SHOCKS CZECHIA, MAKES HISTORY BY REACHING BILLIE JEAN KING CUP FINAL FOR FIRST TIME
Canada to play Italy for the title on Sunday

[SEVILLE, SPAIN] November 11, 2023 – On Saturday, Staff Canada introduced by Sobeys made historical past by defeating Czechia to achieve the Billie Jean King Cup by Gainbridge last for the primary time. The Canadian squad made up of Leylah Annie Fernandez, Gabriela Dabrowski, Rebecca Marino, Marina Stakusic, Eugenie Bouchard, and workforce captain Heidi El Tabakh will now tackle Italy on Sunday for the title.

“I’m so happy with my ladies. Actually, actually proud,” stated El Tabakh postmatch. “However we’re not completed, we received to return out right here tomorrow and do it over again. So, the main focus now could be clearly on restoration and getting the women prepared for tomorrow, however I’m so happy with them.”

Stakusic (No. 258) opened the tie towards Barbora Krejcikova (No. 10) after profitable her earlier two matches within the round-robin. The 18-year-old was defeated 6-2, 6-1, going up towards the highest-ranked opponent of her profession. Regardless of the loss, Stakusic nonetheless managed to carry her personal towards a earlier Grand Slam champion, preventing for robust factors and placing collectively strong rallies all match lengthy.

Fernandez (No. 35) took on Marketa Vondrousova (No. 7) within the second match of the tie, needing a win to present Staff Canada an opportunity to ebook its spot within the finals. Fernandez rose to the event, profitable 6-2, 2-6, 6-3 to drive a decisive third doubles match. Fernandez’s fearless efforts helped her defeat the 2023 Wimbledon champion, saving 9 of 13 break factors and hitting 26 winners. The win notched her first victory towards a Prime 10 opponent for the reason that 2021 US Open.

“It’s an incredible factor for Canadian tennis. I feel for us as a rustic we’ve at all times been sort of put apart as a hockey nation – which is true – however we’re additionally a tennis nation,” stated Fernandez postmatch. “There are lots of tennis ladies and boys which might be taking part in, which might be choosing up the racquet, and which might be competing, and I do know that they’ve large goals like all of us and I feel for us to be doing this and to have the ability to showcase that Canada can be among the many finest nations on the earth it’s an honour, it’s a privilege, and hopefully younger ladies and boys from Canada can proceed of their goals.”

Dabrowski (No. 8) and Fernandez (No. 20) then teamed up for the primary time on the match to tackle Katerina Siniakova (No. 10) and Krejcikova (No. 13) within the deciding doubles match. After Bouchard subbed in for Fernandez in doubles within the first two ties of the match, the duo confirmed no indicators of rust, taking down Siniakova and Krejcikova in straight units 7-5, 7-6. Dabrowski and Fernandez had been as much as the duty within the match, making simply 18 unforced errors in comparison with Czechia’s 31 and placing their opponents on the sting all match lengthy. With the win, Fernandez has now received 15 of her final 16 matches on the Billie Jean King Cup, and her and Dabrowski have but to drop a set within the 4 matches they’ve performed collectively in Billie Jean King Cup play.

Staff Canada will face Italy for the title on Sunday, November 12 (9:00 a.m. ET) and might be broadcast reside in Canada on Sportsnet One and TVA Sports activities.

The Billie Jean King Cup by Gainbridge is the ladies’s World Cup of Tennis. Beforehand referred to as the Fed Cup, it’s the largest annual worldwide workforce competitors in girls’s sport, with 134 nations having entered in 2023. The competitors was based in 1963 and is in its sixtieth yr. Since its 2020 re-brand, the competitors has continued to develop as a daring, highly effective platform for the expansion of girls’s tennis internationally. It was broadcast in an unprecedented 196 territories in 2022, and a report 134 nations have entered this yr. The ITF additionally welcomed new title sponsor Gainbridge in 2022, becoming a member of Microsoft and Magellan as the worldwide sponsors of the occasion. Tory Burch additionally turned attire accomplice in 2022, whereas Iberdrola and Franklin Templeton turned official companions in 2023.