Fernandez, Dabrowski headline Canadian lineup for Billie Jean King Cup Finals
CBC
Singles star Leylah Fernandez and doubles specialist Gabriela Dabrowski will headline the Canadian lineup for the Billie Jean King Cup Finals in mid-November.
The 26th-ranked Fernandez, from Laval, Que., is the lone Canadian in the top 100 of the WTA Tour's singles rankings.
Dabrowski, from Ottawa, is ranked fourth on the doubles list.
Last November, Marina Stakusic, Fernandez swept singles matches for Canada's first title win in Spain.
The latter won all five of her matches this week, helping Canada advance to the final.
Canada's previous best showing at this event came in 1988 when it fell to the Czech Republic in the semifinals.
"Everyone's put in literal blood, sweat, and tears over the years," Dabrowski, an Ottawa native, said a year ago. "Like, literal blood, sweat, and tears. It's felt like on one hand like a huge relief, but in the most positive way that I could say it. It's like a weight has been lifted off our shoulders."
Stakusic, the virtually unknown rookie last year, grabbed headlines early in the tournament. Ranked 258th in the world, she was selected by El Tabakh over the more experienced Rebecca Marino (ranked 176th) and Eugenie Bouchard (273rd) in the team's first match Wednesday and beat 65th-ranked Rebeka Masarova 6-3, 6-1.
A day later, Stakusic upset No. 63 Magdalena Frech of Poland 4-6, 7-5, 6-3 to send Canada to the semifinals for the first time in 35 years. She opened the best-of-three tie with a 7-5, 6-3 win over Martina Trevisan to improve to 3-1 on the week.
The roster, released Monday by Tennis Canada, also includes Stakusic of Mississauga, Ont., Vancouver's Marino and Bianca Andreescu of Mississauga, Ont.
Stakusic is up 27 spots to No. 128 in the latest world singles rankings. Marino is at No. 134 and Andreescu, the 2019 U.S. Open champion, is ranked 167th.
Canada will play the winner of Great Britain and Germany in the quarterfinals on Nov. 17 at Malaga, Spain. The tournament will continue through Nov. 20.
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