Team Canada came away with two impressive wins at the 2023 Bike Jean King Cup in Seville, Spain on Wednesday. It was truly an amazing performance by Marina Stakusic of Mississauga, Ontario, who beat a top-100 opponent for the first time. Stakusic was coming into the match with momentum, as she won three International Tennis Federation tournaments since September.
Stakusic, who is ranked 258th in the world and only 18 years old, beat her Spanish opponent, Rebeka Masarova, who is ranked 65th in the world, 6-3, 6-1. Then, Leylah Annie Fernandez of Montreal, Quebec, the 35th ranked player in the world, beat the 50th ranked player in the world, Sara Sorribes Tormo, 7-6, 7-6. In the first set tiebreak, Fernandez won 11-9, and in the second set tiebreak, Fernandez won 9-7. Canada then swept Spain as they also won the doubles match. Eugenie Bouchard of Montreal, Quebec teamed up with Gabriel Dabrowski of Ottawa, Ontario, to beat Masarova and Sorribes Tormo 6-3, 7-5.
Spain was clearly missing Paula Badosa, the 2021 Indian Wells champion. Badosa, who is also famous in the tennis world for dating Stefanos Tsitsipas, is currently out with a stress fracture in her spine.
Team Canada is the only nation in the tournament so far to win all six sets. The Czech Republic beat Switzerland in all three of their matches, but lost one set. Canada faces Poland on Thursday.
