Billie Jean King Cup - Leylah Fernandez and Marina Stakusic lead Canada to glory against Italy
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Published 12/11/2023 at 19:34 GMT
Canada's Billie Jean King Cup team of captain Heidi El Tabakh, and players Leylah Fernandez, Rebecca Marino, Eugenie Bouchard, Marina Stakusic and Gabriela Dabrowski made tournament history as the first team from the country to win the event. They secured a 2-0 win over opponents Italy in Seville on Sunday, making the potential doubles decider moot.
Canada beat Italy to win maiden Billie Jean King Cup
Video credit: TNT Sports
Canada won the Billie Jean King Cup for the first time in their history as they beat Italy 2-0 in the final on Sunday.
Canada impressed with a 2-1 victory over tournament stalwarts Czechia on Saturday, and continued their excellent form with their two singles stars.
Victory was sealed with Leylah Fernandez’s triumph against Jasmine Paolini, taking them to an unassailable two-match advantage, rendering the doubles match scheduled to come a dead rubber.
Fernandez won 6-2 6-3 to triumph against her Italian rival, building on the early success from the in-form Canadian teenager, Marina Stakusic.
Stakusic had earlier beat Martina Trevisan 7-5 6-3 in the opening singles tie.
Stakusic won against the world No. 43 as she won yet again in Spain to prove herself one of the key figures of the tournament, and she more than earned her spot alongside Fernandez, Rebecca Marino, Eugenie Bouchard and Gabriela Dabrowski in a team captained by Heidi El Tabakh.
The winners receive a $2.4 million (£1.96m) prize, which is the same offered by the Davis Cup.
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