Fernandez to lead Canada against Belgium

World No. 51 Leylay Fernandez will lead Canada in their Billie Jean King Cup by Gainbridge Qualifier against Belgium on 14-15 April.

The hosts, who will be looking to secure safe passage to the 2023 Finals, had initially announced Bianca Andreescu, Leylah Fernandez, Rebecca Marino and Gabriela Dabrowski to represent their country in Vancouver next month.

A nasty fall for Andreescu in Miami - in which she tore two ligaments in her left ankle - sadly forced the 2019 US Open champion to withdraw from the team, to be replaced by Katherine Sebov.

With 2021 US Open runner-up Fernandez now leading the line, Canadian captain Heidi El Tabakh will still go into April’s Qualifier confident that her side can advance to the women’s World Cup of Tennis Finals for the third consecutive year.

Canada has the bizarre record of losing to the eventual champions in the group stage at the past two Finals, but with two top 100 singles players in Fernandez and world No. 82 Rebecca Marino, and with Dabrowski being a mainstay of the doubles Top 10, El Tabakh’s side remains one to watch.

The North Americans will face Belgium in this year’s Qualifiers, with the tie being contested at the Pacific Coliseum in Vancouver.

The deadline for teams to announce their players for this year’s Qualifiers is Friday 17 March.

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