Leylah Fernandez capped an unprecedented day for Canada with her victory against Jasmine Paolini, who gave the first Billie Jean King Cup title to the North American team, superior in the final to Italy (2-0) , who lost a good chance to win. … returns to success after being inferior in the two singles matches.

Fernandez, who touched success in 2021 with the final of the United States Open which he reached at the age of 19, is once again enjoying the good days that tennis brings. Champion this year in Hong Kong and ranked 20th in the women’s rankings, despite her youth, she was the leader and architect of establishing Canada as the best in the world.

Leylah Fernandez won 6-2, 6-3 against Paolini. the one he had defeated before. In Abu Dhabi in 2021 but more recently, in Doha. The Montreal player has never lost a set against the transalpine overwhelmed from the start and with an excess of responsibility on which she did not count.

The previous defeat of her teammate Martina Trevisan against Marina Stakusic left her no room for error. Italy’s chances of surviving the Billie Jean King Cup depended on Paolini beating Fernandez. This did not happen even though he clung to his options, even though he sold his defeat dearly.

But Fernández, who took a hundred minutes to achieve the necessary victory, completed his doctorate in Seville, in La Cartuja. With his victory against Paolini, he has now won sixteen of his seventeen matches played in the competition. The 21-year-old joins Eugénie Bouchard, Stéphanie Dubois and Sonya Jeyaseelan at third on the list for the most wins in Billie Jean King Cup matches in Canada.

History repeated itself and the North American team stood in the way of Italy. As happened last year, in 2022 Canada beat the Transalpine team. Then it was during the group stage of the final held in Glasgow, with Bianca Andreescu as Leylah’s companion. The Canadian team has only lost a series against Italy once, in 1984. Because the North American team also beat the European team in the 1971 and 1995 qualifiers.

The team of Laylah Fernandez, Rebecca Marino, Eugénie Bouchard, Marina Stakusic and Gabriela Dabrowski made Canada the 13th different nation to win the Billie Jean King Cup and the second new champion in consecutive years after Switzerland won its first title, in Glasgow, the last time. year.

Italy was left at the door, having reached the Billie Jean King Cup podium four times. He couldn’t achieve it in Seville, in his first final since 2013, which was the last time he won the competition.

Canada started as cover. In a group that shared with the host, Spain and Poland. She beat them both with authority, with the surprising Marina Stakusic, 18, the revelation of the competition. She lost only one match, the semi-final against the Czech Barbora Krejcikova.

He took the pulse again in the final. She didn’t let the scenery or situation intimidate her and defeated previously undefeated Martina Trevisan 7-5, 6-3 to put Canada within one step of the title. Canada eliminated the top favorite Czech Republic in the semi-final. The only team with two top tens on their team. He surpassed them. She reached the final to fulfill a dream that she achieved thanks to Laylah Fernandez and a surprising Stakusic.

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