(Vancouver) Canada will return to the Billie-Jean-King Cup finals after beating Belgium 3-2 in their qualifier on Saturday night.
Leylah Fernandez and Gabriela Dabrowski sealed Canada’s ticket with a straight-set, 6-1, 6-2 victory over Kirsten Flipkens and Greet Minnen in doubles.
It’s the first time in four games that Canada has beaten Belgium at the Women’s World Cup.
Previously, Belgium’s Greet Minnen defeated Canada’s Katherine Sebov in three sets, 6-2, 3-6, 6-3 in singles action on Saturday night to tie the match at 2-2 in the best-of-five tie.
Sebov won 4 out of 8 break points in the two hours and 10 minutes of the match, but also committed 59 unforced errors.
Leylah Fernandez had given Canada a 2-1 lead over Belgium in qualifying for the Billie-Jean-King Cup.
The 20-year-old Lavallois struggled early in the match against Ysaline Bonaventure, the highest-ranked Belgian in the event, but she managed to come back up to win the match 4-6, 7-5 6-2. .
Bonaventure, coming off a 4-6, 6-4, 6-4 victory over Rebecca Marino on Friday, dominated the game by two hours and 26 minutes before committing a series of unforced errors in the second and third sets.
Fernandez converted five of 20 break points and varied his shots, hitting 15 forehand winners and eight backhand winners.
The clash between these two nations takes place in the best of five rounds. Katherine Sebov takes on Greet Minnen in singles action on Saturday night before Fernandez and Gabriela Dabrowski take on Kirsten Flipkens and Minnen in doubles.
This stop in Vancouver is one of nine qualifying stops taking place this week around the world. The winners will qualify for the finals, played in November.
Last year, Canada defeated Latvia in the qualifying tournament in Vancouver and advanced to the final in Glasgow, where the Maple Leaf beat Italy. Canada then admitted defeat against Switzerland, which in turn won the world title.