Leylah
Fernandez closed the series against Poland by defeating
Magda Linette 6-2, 6-3
and secured the first place in Group C of the
Billie Jean King Cup Finals.
The
Canadian tennis player had a strong end to the year by winning the WTA 250 Hong
Kong Open, reaching the quarterfinals of the WTA 1000 Guadalajara Open, and
making it to the semifinals of the WTA 250 Nanchang Open. Fernandez's recent
results propelled her to world No. 35, and she entered the Billie Jean King Cup
with the responsibility of leading the Canadian team as the top singles player,
especially with the absence of former US Open champion Bianca Andreescu due to
injury.
The first
set began well for Fernandez in a competitive game where she secured the first
break. After holding her serve, she quickly gained another break to go 3-0
ahead. Despite losing her serve once, Fernandez didn't waver and eventually won
the set 6-2.
The match
remained competitive in the early games despite Fernandez's significant lead,
as she excelled in crucial points to close out the games. The world No. 35
displayed particular aggression, tallying 17 winners and 13 unforced errors,
compared to Linette's 5 winners and 14 unforced errors.
In the
second set, Linette again lost her serve, giving Fernandez the early 2-0 lead
in a matter of minutes. While Linette improved with her serve, the Polish
player struggled to counter Fernandez's effectiveness. With the score at 5-3 in
favor of Leylah, Linette couldn't handle the pressure and conceded three match
points to her opponent. Fernandez capitalized on the second opportunity,
securing another victory for Canada.
The
Canadian team ensured their advancement to the semifinals of the tournament by
leading their group undefeated. Earlier in the day, Marina Stakusic defeated
Magdalena Frech in three sets, contributing to Canada's successful campaign.
