Canada swept hosts Spain 3-0 within the Billie Jean King Cup finals on Wednesday, to get off to a robust begin in Group C.
Earlier, Italy scored a formidable 2-1 win over France of their opening Group D tie, profitable each singles rubbers.
Canadian rookie Marina Stakusic, 18, beat Rebeka Masarova 6-3, 6-1 in an excellent show, earlier than Leylah Fernandez edged Sara Sorribes 7-6 (10/8), 7-6 (9/7) to clinch the tie.
Stakusic, ranked 258th on this planet, made gentle work of Masarova, who’s sixty fifth for her first victory over a high 100 participant.
“I really feel wonderful, I am tremendous proud of my efficiency at present, I simply tried to have nice vitality from the start and simply present I belong right here,” stated Stakusic.
“It is my finest victory for positive… the Canadian followers motivated me a lot at present, and the Spanish followers too, I like all noise. For me it was very motivating.”
As spectacular as Stakusic was, Masarova made 33 unforced errors and was removed from her finest.
It left the strain on team-mate Sorribes’ shoulders and maybe that advised as she spurned three set factors within the tie-break earlier than Fernandez finally snatched an thrilling first set.
Sorribes didn’t convert two extra set factors within the second set tie-break and Fernandez triumphed.
“There are one thing that I must work on however my Canadian team-mates and my Canadian cheering squad right here did what they needed to do, gave me positivity and helped me within the robust moments,” stated Fernandez.
“That was extraordinarily robust, I attempted to remain centered on only one level at a time.”
Eugenie Bouchard and Gabriela Dabrowski polished off the sweep with a 6-2, 7-5 doubles win over Sorribes and Masarova.
Canada face Poland on Thursday, whereas Italy are additionally in motion towards Germany.
France clawed again some extent within the doubles towards Italy, who additionally received each their singles rubbers.
Jasmine Paolini beat France’s Caroline Garcia 7-6 (8/6), 5-7, 6-4 in an exhilarating battle after Martina Trevisan beat Alize Cornet 2-6, 6-2, 6-2, incomes Italy the tie.
Garcia and Kristina Mladenovic then earned a 5-7, 6-2, 10-6 win over Trevisan and Elisabetta Cocciaretto.
4-time winners Italy have now overwhelmed France in 5 of their final seven conferences, edging this battle between two of the 4 ever-present international locations on the event, together with Australia and Nice Britain.
Trevisan got here again forcefully from a set all the way down to triumph within the first singles rubber.
“I am very blissful to deliver the purpose to my crew, once I play for Italy, for my nation, it is all the time particular,” she stated.
Cornet stated she was unwell within the second set.
“I used to be feeling fairly good earlier than and in the course of the first set,” she defined.
“Then my type dropped. I began to really feel a bit dizzy, and I believe she modified her technique and he or she performed a lot smarter from the second set.”
Paolini and world quantity 20 Garcia performed out a constant first set with only one break level, which the Italian saved, finally triumphing within the tie-break.
Within the second set Garcia blew two set factors at 5-4 up however instantly recovered Paolini’s break and made no mistake on the third time of asking, forcing a decider.
Nevertheless, it was Paolini who emerged victorious in a tense finale, profitable the ultimate 4 video games to clinch victory.