MONTREAL – Laval’s Leylah Fernandez and Vancouver’s Rebecca Marino will headline Team Canada in the Billie Jean King Cup qualifier against Latvia next month.
Ottawa’s Gabriela Dabrowski, Montreal’s François Abanda and Ontario’s Carol Zhao will complete the team for this match, which will be played on April 15 and 16 at the Pacific Coliseum in Vancouver.
Fernandez, who is ranked 21st in the world, is lining up with the Canadian team for the fourth time in his career. She has won her last three meetings in this competition – a surprise victory against Belinda Bencic, in 2020, and two wins in three sets at the expense of Serbs Olga Danilovic and Nina Stojanovic in 2021. The 19-year-old is coming off her second title WTA career, Sunday, at the Monterrey tournament.
“I always have a lot of fun taking part in these tournaments and I’m delighted to finally be able to play at home,” Fernandez said in the Tennis Canada press release. Wearing Canada’s colors on the field is an honor and I can’t wait to do it in front of a Canadian audience. »
Marino, ranked 123rd in the world, will be taking part in her ninth Billie Jean King Cup meeting and her first in Canada, moreover, in her hometown. She has just been crowned champion of a Challenger tournament played in California.
The Canadian team will also be able to count on the vast experience of Dabrowski, a doubles specialist. Since 2013, she has participated in 16 Billie Jean King Cup matches and has a record of 8 wins and 7 losses.
Abanda will participate in his fifth meeting in Canada and the eighth of his career. The 25-year-old has always offered her best tennis when defending the colors of Canada and has a record of seven wins and four losses. She recorded her most recent victory in the 2021 Finals against Fiona Ferro (4-6, 6-4, 6-4) and thus contributed to Canada’s triumph at the expense of 2019 champions France.
Zhao, 26, has two wins and three losses at this tournament, with both of her wins coming in doubles alongside Dabrowski. This year, she already has a doubles title at an ITF tournament in Cancun, Mexico.
Canada and Latvia will meet for the first time. Canada currently sits 9th in the Billie Jean King Cup standings, while Latvia is 14th. The composition of the Latvian squad will be announced later in March.
“For some of the girls on the team, myself included, this will be their first home game,” commented captain Heidi El Tabakh. We are confident that Leylah, Gabriela, Rebecca, Françoise and Carol will do their best to qualify Canada for the Billie Jean King Cup Finals. »
The winners of this meeting will qualify for the Finals next November.
