Canada claimed their first Billie Jean King Cup title as Leylah Fernandez sealed a 2-0 win over Italy in Seville.
Fernandez, 21, beat Jasmine Paolini 6-2 6-3 to settle the ultimate after teenager Marina Stakusic, ranked 258th, defeated top-50 participant Martina Trevisan 7-5 6-3.
The 18-year-old Stakusic stated it had been “one of the best week” of her life following her career-best win.
Victory earned Canada a document $2.4m (£2.1m) in prize cash, one yr after the nation gained its first Davis Cup.
Former US Open runner-up Fernandez has been in scintillating kind in Spain this week within the girls’s group occasion and performed a key function within the semi-final win over 11-time champions the Czech Republic.
Fernandez, ranked twentieth on the planet, beat Wimbledon champion and world quantity eight Marketa Vondrousova in her singles match on Saturday earlier than partnering Gabriela Dabrowski to doubles victory.
In Sunday’s title decider, Fernandez, this time marginal favorite in opposition to world quantity 30 Paolini, as soon as once more delivered to clinch a historic win for her nation within the best-of-three contest in opposition to four-time winners Italy.
Fernandez took the primary set by successful 4 video games in a row after Paolini had damaged again for 2-2 and she or he maintained that momentum with a break within the third recreation of set two.
Fernandez, who misplaced to Britain’s Emma Raducanu within the 2021 US Open ultimate, had her serve damaged to fifteen when serving for the title at 5-2.
However she produced a right away response to that setback, taking her first match level within the following recreation, and she or he has now gained 16 of the 19 BJK Cup matches she has contested for the newly topped world champions.
“It feels superb. I’m extraordinarily proud that I used to be capable of characterize Canada on the most important stage,” stated Fernandez, who threw her racquet within the air after hitting the ultimate winner.
“To do it in entrance of Billie Jean means the world to me, to us, and hopefully we are able to hold going and have fun tonight.”
That title-winning victory got here after Stakusic had shocked the Forty third-ranked Trevisan.
Stakusic, who has not performed a single WTA main-draw match in 2023, ultimately accomplished victory regardless of failing to take her first 4 match factors as Trevisan served at 2-5.
However Stakusic didn’t panic then – simply as she refused to take action after dropping 4 successive video games when Trevisan battled again to guide from 4-1 down within the opening set.
“I am so joyful and honoured that I might play this week, this has been one of the best week of my life,” Stakusic stated.
Following Fernandez’s title-clinching victory the Canada group, which additionally included Rebecca Marino and Eugenie Bouchard and was captained by Heidi El Tabakh, embraced on the courtroom in celebration.
“I do not know what to say. I am so happy with this group, these women are unimaginable,” El Tabakh stated. “It is a dream come true.”
