MONTREAL, April 7, 2018 (Press Release)
Tennis Canada announced Friday that Eugenie Bouchard (Montreal, QC), Françoise Abanda (Montreal, QC), Bianca Andreescu (Mississauga, ON) and Gabriela Dabrowski (Ottawa, ON) will represent Canada in the Fed Cup by BNP Paribas World Group II play-off tie against Ukraine on April 21 and 22. The tie will be played at Uniprix Stadium in Montreal.
“We are very confident in our team for this play-off tie. Over the past few years, our girls have been gaining valuable experience playing in Fed Cup ties both at home and on the road,” stated Canadian Fed Cup captain Sylvain Bruneau. “We also recognize the tough task ahead, as our opponents are a skilled nation with a deep talent pool, including four Top 50 players, two in singles and two in doubles. We will be prepared for a competitive battle in Montreal.”
Eugenie Bouchard will be making her return to the Canadian Fed Cup team this year, having last played in a tie against Romania in 2015. The 24-year-old was on the team during Canada’s previous encounter with Ukraine, where she won two crucial matches including the decisive fifth doubles rubber to lead the nation to a 3-2 victory. Earlier this year, she reached the quarter-finals of a WTA tournament in Taipei. Her fellow Montreal native Françoise Abanda will be competing in her sixth Fed Cup tie. Against Kazakhstan last April in Montreal, she helped Canada cause the upset by winning both of her singles matches against higher-ranked opponents. She continued her momentum throughout the year, qualifying for the main draw and winning her first Grand Slam match at the French Open and reaching her first WTA quarter-final in Quebec City.
After making her Fed Cup debut last year in Mexico, 17-year-old Bianca Andreescu has represented Canada in six ties, holding a record of 7 wins and 2 losses. She notably got the decisive victory in a 3-1 upset over Kazakhstan last April. 2017 was a career year for the young Canadian, as she claimed two junior Grand Slam titles as well as two singles titles on the ITF circuit. Ottawa native Gabriela Dabrowski also enjoyed tremendous success last year, becoming the first Canadian woman to win a Grand Slam when she captured the mixed doubles titles at the French Open. She also took home two WTA doubles titles and qualified for the season-ending WTA Finals. In Canada’s most recent tie against Romania, Dabrowski, partnering Carol Zhao, got the country’s only point of the tie by winning the final doubles match.
The members of the Ukrainian team will be announced later next week.
Tickets are still available starting at just $25 per day or $40 for the weekend. A special rate is also offered for children aged 12 years and under at only $15 per day or $20 for both days. Fans who wish to attend to the upcoming tie can purchase their tickets by calling 514-790-1245 or online at www.admission.com. Please note that the Ticketing Office will only be open during the two days of the event for people who wish to obtain tickets on site.
Matches will start at 1 p.m. on Saturday, April 21 with the presentation of two singles matches. Sunday’s lineup will feature two singles matches followed by a doubles match beginning at noon.
