Canada's Marina Stakusic returns the ball to Spain's Rebeka Masarova during their group stage tennis match between Spain and Canada on the second day of the Billie Jean King Cup finals at La Cartuja stadium in Seville, southern Spain, Wednesday, Nov. 8, 2023. Stakusic and Leylah Fernandez have been tabbed for singles play in Thursday's tie against Poland at the Billie Jean King Cup Finals. THE CANADIAN PRESS/AP/Manu Fernandez
SEVILLE, Spain – Canada’s Marina Stakusic defeated Poland’s Magdalena Frech 4-6, 7-5, 6-3 at the Billie Jean King Cup Finals on Thursday.
The 18-year-old from Mississauga, Ont., converted her first match point opportunity to give Canada a 1-0 lead in the best-of-three tie.
Leylah Fernandez of Laval, Que., was scheduled to play Magda Linette in the second singles match.
In doubles, Fernandez and Ottawa’s Gabriela Dabrowski were to face Weronika Falkowska and Katarzyna Kawa. The doubles lineup could be changed after the completion of the second singles match.
Stakusic, who’s playing at this team tennis event for the first time, also won the first singles match on Wednesday in Canada’s 3-0 victory over host Spain in the Group C round-robin opener.
The four group winners will advance to the semifinals. The final is set for Sunday.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 9, 2023.
