Canada Swept Out in Billie Jean King Cup Quarter-Finals by Great Britain

Photo : Martin Sidorjak

Team Canada’s title defence at the Billie Jean King Cup came to a quick and sudden end on Sunday in Malaga, Spain as the 2023 champions were beaten in the quarter-finals by Great Britain.

The Brits swept Canada, with Rebecca Marino and Leylah Annie Fernandez losing their respective singles matches in straight sets. Both Canadian women got off to slow starts and it cost them, as neither was able to reel their opponent back in.

As Britain won both singles matches, the doubles was not played.

Marino was up first and got off to a nightmare start in her first Billie Jean King Cup match in over a year and a half and while she picked up her level as the match went along, she was never able to break down the former US Open champion in a 6-0, 7-5 defeat.

Canada needs to win both remaining matches in the tie to advance to the semifinals of the 2024 Billie Jean King Cup Finals. Leylah Annie Fernandez is up next is the second singles match against world No. 24 Katie Boulter and is expected to play doubles alongside Gabriela Dabrowski if the extends the tie with a singles win.

Consistency was a problem for Marino, who committed 38 unforced errors to just 11 winners. The big-serving Canadian only put 60 per cent of her first serve in, winning just 59 per cent of those points and 52 per cent of her second. She also failed to convert any of her seven break points, while being broken four times.

Raducanu settled into her game quickly, applying pressure in the Canadian’s opening service game. Marino was not firing on all cylinders yet and that Brit took advantage of her opponent’s tentative play to create a few break points. The veteran blasted her way out of the first two but sliced the ball into the net on the third to fall behind an immediate break.

Even as Marino started to up the intensity, Raducanu seemed to have a good read on the Canadian’s mighty serve, constantly driving deep returns into Marino’s feet. Such a return gave her a double break look in the veteran’s next serve game and while Marino saved both with big serves and another with a forehand winner, back-to-back errors surrendered another break.

Everything was going Raducanu’s way in the opening set and she used form aggressive hitting to break for a third time as she opened the tie with a bagel.

A different Marino came out to start the second set. She found her range on the serve, winning the first eight points on her own delivery in a row. The Canadian also was not showing any interest in long rallies, blasting every ball in sight and, unlike the first set, many of her shots were finding their mark.

As a result, she was able to start breaking Raducanu’s rhythm and the Brit started to make mistakes. However, all of the big points were still going Raducanu’s way. Marino had three break points at 2-2 and four at 4-4 but could not convert any of them, usually committing an error herself or Raducanu found a big serve.

When the Brit had a chance to break, she took advantage. At 5-5, a Marino forehand long gave Raducanu her first break point of the set and, just like she did frequently in the first set, the former US Open champion teed off on a return, breaking for a 6-5 lead where she served out the match.

Fernandez Streak Snapped

Canada still had reason for optimism with their backs against the wall as Leylah Annie Fernandez came out for the must-win second singles match on an eight-match winning streak in the Billie Jean King Cup. However, Katie Boulter ended the streak and clinched the tie for Britain with a straight-set win.

Fernandez was far from her best, struggling to keep the ball consistently in play and cracking under Boulter’s heavy hitting. She made it interesting with a late surge but ultimately was unable to mount a full comeback, falling 6-2, 6-4.

The serve was a problem for Fernandez in this match as she hit nine double faults and won just six total points on her second serve. She also only managed six winners to Boulter’s 14 and struggled against the Brit’s power, being forced into 28 errors.

All throughout the first set, Fernandez struggled on serve and was unable to get enough going on return. There were warning signs right from the start when Fernandez had to save a break point in the opening game of the match, blasting an ace past Boulter after the Brit had struck a return winner on the previous point.

While she managed to hold serve in that game, she would not be so lucky going forward. The next time she stepped up to the line, back-to-back forehand errors from the Canadian handed the break to Boulter. The Brit gifted the break back in the following game by netting a backhand, but immediately went back to work on the Canadian’s serve, breaking again for a 3-2 lead.

Fernandez was struggling to find any kind of rhythm, particularly on her forehand wing and with her serve. At 2-4, she let a 40-15 lead slip away and hit back-to-back double faults to hand Boulter a double break.

Unlike Marino’s match, the second set did not provide a fresh start for Fernandez. The two things that had caused her the most trouble in the opening frame, the serve and the forehand, bit her again in the first game of the second as Fernandez missed a forehand to set up a break point and then double-faulted.

After being broken again to go down 0-3, the Canadian showed some signs of life as she had three break points in the ensuing game. Boulter was not letting her level drop, though, as she saved all three with some impressive hitting.

The Canadian continued to fight right to the end, even breaking Boulter as the Brit served for the match at 5-2. However, it was all she could do to pull within a game as Boulter sealed the deal the second time she served for it.

Canada will now have to play in April’s qualifying round. With the Billie Jean King Cup changing formats for 2025, they will play in a three-team round robin in April’s qualifiers, with the winner advancing to the play-offs in September. As defending champions, Canada skipped qualifying in 2024.

CLICK HERE for everything you need to know about the 2024 Billie Jean King Cup Finals.

Viewers can watch Team Canada’s Billie Jean King Cup Finals and Davis Cup Final 8 ties for free on CBC Gem, cbcsports.ca, the CBC Sports app, and CBC Sports’ official YouTube channel. The ties will also be available in French, as TVA Sports and TVA Sports Direct will be showing Canada’s matchups, as well as all semifinals and finals.

Written By

Pete Borkowski