Canada has had an thought of their path to a second consecutive Billie Jean King Cup title for a while. However because the matches are underway in Malaga, Spain, the image is changing into clearer.
The title defence will start on Sunday towards Nice Britain, with a few historic powerhouses ready within the wings.
With Canada’s first tie quick approaching, let’s study extra concerning the groups which are standing between them and one other Billie Jean King Cup triumph.
Quarter-Remaining: Nice Britain
Date: Sunday, Nov. 17
Head-to-Head: 0-3
Final Assembly: 1984 World Group Play-Offs, Nice Britain gained 2-1
Canada shall be seeking to rating their first-ever win towards Nice Britain within the opening tie of their title defence. Although the Brits have gained all of the earlier conferences between the 2 nations, the historical past isn’t notably related as lots of the gamers concerned within the quarter-final conflict weren’t even born the final time the 2 groups met.
On paper, the Brits have the benefit over Canada with three Prime 100 singles gamers of their lineup. They’re led by world No. 24 Katie Boulter, who will seemingly play Leylah Annie Fernandez within the second singles match. The pair have cut up their earlier two conferences, though Boulter’s win was again in 2018 whereas Fernandez gained their most-recent match up again in July 2023.
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Boulter has had an enormous season, beginning 2024 outdoors the Prime 50 however shot up the rankings because of titles in San Diego and Nottingham. She shall be arriving in Malaga in good kind after reaching the ultimate in her most up-to-date match in Hong Kong.
Backing up Boulter are Emma Raducanu and Harriet Dart. Again in April’s qualifying spherical, Raducanu got here up clutch for her nation with a pair of singles wins to ship Britain to Malaga. Nonetheless, the 2021 US Open champion has struggled to remain wholesome all through the season and solely performed three tournaments, seven complete matches, after Wimbledon.
Raducanu and Boulter swept apart Germany of their opening tie on Friday, every securing straight-set wins to set the quarter-final conflict with Canada.
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Of the potential matchups within the opening singles match, solely Dart for the Brits and Rebecca Marino for Canada have beforehand met. Dart leads their head-to-head 2-1 though Marino gained their most up-to-date hard-court match final yr in Dubai.
Rounding out the British roster are Heather Watson and Olivia Nicholls, who might each issue into the doubles. Nicholls is ranked thirty ninth in doubles whereas Watson is No. 57.
Semifinal: Australia or Slovakia
Ought to Canada advance into the semifinals, they’ll face off towards both Australia or Slovakia.
Australia
Potential Date: Monday, Nov. 18 or Tuesday, Nov. 19
Head-to-Head: 0-4
Final Assembly: 1996 World Group II Play-Offs, Australia gained 3-2
Like Canada, Australia had a bye instantly into quarter-finals, the place they may face Slovakia.
The Aussies are led by world No. 85 Ajla Tomljanovic, who has struggled to remain wholesome ever since her sturdy 2022 marketing campaign that noticed her attain a pair of Grand Slam quarter-finals. Nonetheless, Tomljanovic has been enjoying constantly within the latter half of 2024 and gained a WTA 125 title in October, beating Marina Stakusic en route. The Aussie No. 1 gained her lone earlier match along with her projected Canadian opponent, Fernandez, earlier this yr on grass in Birmingham.
Solely two members of the Australian staff that beat Mexico 4-0 in qualifying are making the journey to Malaga, Daria Saville and Ellen Perez, the No. 13-ranked doubles participant on the planet.
Singles world No. 90 Olivia Gadecki and No. 115 Kimberly Birrell spherical out the Australian facet.
Slovakia
Potential Date: Monday, Nov. 18 or Tuesday, Nov. 19
Head-to-Head:1-2
Final Assembly: 2016 World Group II Play-Offs, Slovakia gained 3-2
Slovakia brought about the primary large upset of the 2023 Finals on Thursday by taking out the powerhouse United States to set their quarter-final conflict with Australia.
Although the Individuals had been with out their prime three, they nonetheless boasted a major rankings benefit over their Slovak opposition. Nonetheless, world No. 43 Rebecca Sramkova upset No. 11 Danielle Collins earlier than Tereza Mihalikova and Viktoria Hruncakova took the doubles to finish the upset. Apparently, world No. 375 Renata Jamrichova performed the opening singles match over the second-highest ranked Slovakian, No. 110 Anna Karolina Schmiedlova.
Sramkova has been pink scorching for the reason that US Open, reaching three finals and profitable a WTA 250 title in Thailand. She gained at the least 4 matches in 4 of her final 5 tournaments. A conflict with Fernandez could be the primary between them.
Whereas Canada and Slovakia met in Billie Jean King Cup competitors simply eight years in the past, Mihalikova is the one participant on both staff who was current at that tie.
Remaining: Czechia/Italy/Poland/Japan
Canada can not have a rematch of any of their 2023 Finals ties till the ultimate, as all 4 of their opponents from Seville are on the alternative facet of the draw. If Canada reaches the ultimate, they might meet one of many following 4 nations.
Czechia
Regardless of lacking 4 of their prime 5 gamers, the Czechs nonetheless are in a position to ship a lineup that features three Prime 50 gamers. 19-year-old Linda Noskova is the top-ranked Czech and is joined by veterans Maria Bouzkova and Katerina Siniakova, who gained two majors in doubles this yr and simply reached the ultimate of the WTA Finals.
Italy
Italy is sending a really comparable lineup to the one which reached the ultimate a yr in the past in Seville, falling to the Canadians. Nonetheless, the breakthrough of Jasmine Paolini in 2024 makes the squad look considerably extra intimidating. The Italian No. 1 is the second-highest-ranked participant collaborating in Malaga.
Poland
Canada could have caught a break final yr once they confronted an Iga Swiatek-less Poland, however the five-time main champion shall be in Malaga this time. With Swiatek main the way in which, the Polish roster seems fairly intimidating as the one nation within the competitors with three Prime 40 singles gamers on the staff.
Japan
Japan are within the last eight of the Billie Jean King Cup for the primary time of their historical past. Regardless of solely having one Prime 100 singles participant, No. 56 Moyuka Uchijima, Japan was in a position to beat Romania within the opening tie of the Finals. With three Prime 50 doubles gamers, Japan might be an actual menace if they’ll get a tie to the decisive rubber.
CLICK HERE for every little thing you have to know concerning the 2024 Billie Jean King Cup Finals.
Viewers can watch Staff Canada’s Billie Jean King Cup Finals and Davis Cup Remaining 8 ties without spending a dime on CBC Gem, cbcsports.ca, the CBC Sports activities app, and CBC Sports activities’ official YouTube channel. The ties may even be obtainable in French, as TVA Sports activities and TVA Sports activities Direct shall be displaying Canada’s matchups, in addition to all semifinals and finals.
