‘S-HERTOGENBOSCH, February 10, 2019 (Tennis Canada Press Release)

The Fed Cup by BNP Paribas World Group II first round tie concluded with Canada clinching the 4-0 victory over the Netherlands at the Maaspoort Sports & Events in ‘s-Hertogenbosch.

The final day of action began with the two no. 1 players from each nation facing each other. Bianca Andreescu (Mississauga, ON) and Arantxa Rus had never faced each other prior to Sunday’s meeting. The former no. 61 in the world, Rus committed nine double faults and 37 unforced errors in her match against Abanda the day before while Andreescu totaled four aces and was strong throughout her match. On Sunday, both players got off to uneasy starts, as there were a number of breaks in the beginning. The Canadian regained consistency, playing strong service games and taking the opener. In the second set, it was all Andreescu. She dominated her opponent from the first serve until the end. In emphatic fashion, Andreescu clinched the tie for the Canadian squad with a 6-4, 6-2 win.

With the tie already won after the three singles matches, the dead doubles rubber was disputed between Gabriela Dabrowski (Ottawa, ON) and Rebecca Marino (Vancouver, BC) for Canada and Demi Schuurs and Bibiane Schoofs for the Netherlands. After dropping the opening set, the Canadian duo fought back to force a final decider. They trailed once again in the tiebreak, but ultimately found a way to complete the comeback, taking the match by a score of 2-6, 7-5, 12-10. This win gave Canada a perfect record for the weekend.

As a result of their victory over the Netherlands, Canada will play for a spot in the World Group in April. Their opponents will be unveiled on Tuesday, February 12 at the Fed Cup Draw at the ITF Offices in London.

💃🏻🇨🇦💃🏻🇨🇦💃🏻🇨🇦💃🏻🇨🇦💃🏻#HeidiElTabakh @Bandreescu_ @franckie_abanda @beccamarino90 @GabyDabrowski #GoCanada pic.twitter.com/mZPo7MkUZ8

— Tennis Canada (@TennisCanada) 10. Februar 2019

Quotes

“I try to go into every match thinking it is another match. Each time I step out on to the court, I want to win. I try to stick to my tactics and go out there and play my game. I thought my level was below average today, but sometimes you are able to win not playing your best. I’m only 18, but at this point I don’t think age really matters anymore. The mental aspect is so incredibly important and I think I showed mental strength this weekend. There is also the questions of experience, which I think I am getting more and more of,” said Andreescu after her big win.

“I am so incredibly proud of these girls. We know it was going to be tough going into this weekend, but our girls trained hard all week and we were ready for the challenge. This was an incredible first Fed Cup experience for me as the captain and I look forward to many more to come,” said El Tabakh.

Match Results

2019 Fed Cup World Group II First Round 
Canada vs. Netherlands
February 9-10, 2019
Maaspoort Sports & Events, ‘s-Hertogenbosch
Score: 4-0