Leylah Fernandez won over the Pacific Coliseum crowd with her play and her words. Fernandez, the 19\u002Dyear\u002Dold from Laval, clinched a Canadian sweep in their best\u002Dfive Billie Jean King Cup qualifier with Latvia on Saturday at the Rink on Renfrew with a 6\u002D2, 6\u002D1 triumph over Daniela Vismane in a tidy one hour’s time.
Fernandez, the 19-year-old from Laval, clinched a Canadian sweep in their best-five Billie Jean King Cup qualifier with Latvia on Saturday at the Rink on Renfrew with a 6-2, 6-1 triumph over Daniela Vismane in a tidy one hour’s time.
Afterwards, Sportsnet’s Arash Madani interviewed Fernandez on the court in front of the fans and she got a rousing ovation with her answer to his question about how Canada might fare in the 12-nation Billie Jean Cup finals in November.Canada’s Leylah Annie Fernandez celebrates after defeating Latvia’s Daniela Vismane during a Billie Jean King Cup qualifier singles tennis match, in Vancouver, on Saturday.Canadian captain Heidi El Tabakh echoed those thoughts when asked the same question.
The Americans have won it 18 times. The Russian won last year, beating the Swiss in the final in Prague last November.Article content “I really do believe that we can go all the way. I really do believe that we can win the Billie Jean King Cup. We have a tough team. I hope at the end of the year we’re able to make it happen,” El Tabakh said.