Fernandez, Dabrowski headline Canadian lineup for Billie Jean King Cup Finals
Marina Stakusic, Fernandez swept singles matches for 2023 title win in Spain
Singles star Leylah Fernandez and doubles specialist Gabriela Dabrowski will anchor Canada's five-player lineup this week when the team tries to defend its Billie Jean King Cup title in Malaga, Spain.
The 26th-ranked Fernandez, the 2021 U.S. Open finalist 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. The 2023 U.S. Open women's doubles champion won mixed doubles bronze with Felix Auger-Aliassime at the recent Paris Olympics.
Canada will look to become the first team since the Czech Republic in 2016 to successfully defend its Billie Jean King Cup title.
The Canadians, who received an automatic berth as defending champion, will play Great Britain or Germany this Sunday at Martin Carpena Arena. The tournament will continue through Nov. 20.
Australia, Italy and wild-card entry Czech Republic also received first-round byes.
Last November, Marina Stakusic, Fernandez swept singles matches for Canada's first title win in Spain.
The former capped by her singles win in Canada's 2-0 victory over Italy in the final.
WATCH l Canada wins 1st-ever Billie Jean King Cup title in 2023:
Vancouver's Rebecca Marino is also back but Bianca Andreescu, the 2019 U.S. Open champion from Mississauga, Ont., withdrew last week to focus on her health after she battled injuries throughout the season. She hasn't been on Canada's squad at the Billie Jean King Cup since 2022.
"Winning the Billie Jean King Cup in 2023 was a dream come true for us, and not only that, but I feel like we made a statement to the world about the strength of this nation when it comes to tennis," Canada captain Heidi El Tabakh said Monday in a news release. "Once again, we have a very strong team this year with Bianca joining Leylah, Gaby, Rebecca and Marina, making it an extremely powerful team that is more than capable of going all the way.
"At the end of the day, our goal is to make Canada proud, and we'll do our best to bring the same level of effort and excitement that we had in last year's finals."
Title win 'weight off our shoulders'
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 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 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.
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.
Fernandez, who beat Jasmine Paolini to clinch Canada's first-ever title at the competition, is ranked No. 42 in doubles.
Malaga will also host the Nov. 19-24 Davis Cup Final 8. The Canadian men qualified over the weekend with a 2-1 victory over Great Britain in Manchester.
With files from CBC Sports
