A lookback at the 2023 Billie Jean King Cup Finals
07/11/2024 16:52
Seville's Estadio de La Cartuja provided the stage for the 2023 Billie Jean King Cup by Gainbridge Finals, with Canada emerging victorious after a thrilling week of action
By Kevin Palmer
THE GROUP STAGES
From the opening tie between Australia and Slovenia through to the winning point clinched by Canada's Leylah Fernandez, last year's Billie Jean King Cup Finals were loaded with tension and drama.
Reigning champions Switzerland were among the nations eliminated in the group phase after they finished bottom of Group A following defeats against Czechia and the USA.
Danielle Collins was one of the stand-out performer in this group, as the 2020 Australian Open finalist won both of her singles matches for the USA, but her efforts were not enough to secure a dream farewell for captain Kathy Rinaldi, who stepped down from her role after this event.
A win for Czechia's Marketa Vondrousova over Sofia Kenin ended the USA's hopes and set up a semi-final clash with Canada.
After their male heroes won the 2022 Davis Cup, Canada's female players had their sights set on victory and they set off on their mission in style with a 3-0 win against hosts Spain.
They backed that up with an equally convincing whitewash of a Poland side missing the presence of their top-ranked player Iga Swiatek, as the Canadian duo of Fernandez and Marina Stakusic marched into the final four impressively.
Italy also made it through to the semi-finals, with Jasmine Paolini catching the eye as she took her singles career to the next level.
Paolini was to go on to win a gold medal at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games and reach the Final at the French Open and Wimbledon this year, yet such momentous moments a distant dream for this likeable player when she played in last year's Billie Jean King Cup Finals.
Paolini showcased her improved form with her wins against France's Caroline Garcia and Germany's Anna-Lena Friedsam easing Italy into the final four in Seville.
Slovenia also shone in this phase of the competition, with Kaja Juvan and Tamara Zidansek combining impressively to seal victories against the Australian duo of Ajla Tomljanovic and Daria Saville, before a decisive win in the doubles against Kazakhstan sealed their place in the semi-finals.
HIGH STAKES
The knock-out stage of the Billie Jean King Cup Finals always provides excitement and the 2023 edition lived up to its billing.
Once again, Paolini shone in Italy's win against Slovenia, with her 6-2, 4-6, 6-3 win against Zidansek decisive in this tie as Tathiana Garbin's side sealed a 2-0 win.
"It's a dream come true," said Garbin after the win against Slovenia. "What they have done is something incredible. We want always to push ourselves to the limit."
The momentum building behind Canada's push for victory gathered pace as they secured a hugely impressive win against a strong Czechia side.
Barbora Krejcikova and Vondrousova can beat the best in the world when they are at their best, but Canada captain Heidi el Tabakh and her team found a path to victory.
Krejcikova had too much power and class for Stakusic in the opening match of the tie and then Fernandez struck back by playing some inspired tennis to beat Vondrousova before she teamed up with Gabriela Dabrowski to win a tension-filled decisive doubles match to secure Canada's place in the final for the first time.
"I'm just ecstatic," said Fernandez. "I am extremely proud of our team spirit and effort. It was one of our toughest ties because we were playing one of the best players in the world individually and the best team in the world."
FINAL SHOWDOWN
Italy may have been favourites heading into the final, but that didn't concern captain El Tabakh and her Canada team.
As Fernandez hit the winning backhand to seal a 2-0 win, she and the team consisting of Fernandez, Stakusic, Dabrowski, Rebecca Marino and Eugenie Bouchard were etched into Canadian tennis folklore as they were crowned world champions.
Stakusic sent Canada on their way to victory with a 7-5, 6-3 win over Martina Trevisan, before 2021 US Open finalist Fernandez won the Billie Jean King Cup with a 6-2, 6-3 win against Paolini.
"I'm extremely happy, ecstatic," said Fernandez. "It's the first time that Canada has ever won Billie Jean King Cup and I can say, 'we're world champions'.
"We deserve it. We worked really hard these past years and every year we just keep improving and it's showing on the tennis court. It is showing in competitions and now it has shown on the biggest stage in the world."
Stakusic, who was sitting at No. 258 in the WTA rankings at the time of the victory, admitted Canada had exceeded their own expectations as they lifted the trophy.
"It's definitely not what I imagined would happen coming here," said Stakusic. "As the week went on, I knew that we were gaining confidence and we really believed in ourselves. It ended up paying off in the end. It's been an incredible week and I'm super happy I got to spend it with these women."
Canada's win ensured El Tabakh became the first female captain to lead their team to victory in the Billie Jean King Cup since Kathy Rinaldi in 2017, as a magical story for her team served up the dream finale.
