When Michael Downey was settling into his new job as Tennis Canada chief executive officer in the mid-2000s, he helped guide a leadership group that set sky-high goals for the program.
A small fish on the sportB次元官网网址檚 international scene at the time, the federation ambitiously set targets for Canadian players to win Grand Slam singles titles in each gender and capture both of the major team championships.
Three out of four ainB次元官网网址檛 bad.
The Canadian womenB次元官网网址檚 team added to the trophy case over the weekend by winning the countryB次元官网网址檚 first-ever Billie Jean King Cup crown. The victory came less than a year after the menB次元官网网址檚 team won the Davis Cup and four years after Bianca Andreescu raised the U.S. Open trophy.
B次元官网网址淚n a cycle of 15 years, weB次元官网网址檝e got three of the four and the Canadian players are capable of doing it more than once,B次元官网网址� Downey said Monday from Montreal. B次元官网网址淭heyB次元官网网址檙e not flukes and thatB次元官网网址檚 pretty special.B次元官网网址�
Last week in Spain, Leylah Fernandez of Laval, Que., was a force for a Canadian team that swept its way to the weekend playoffs before topping Italy 2-0 in the final.
Marina Stakusic of Mississauga, Ont., delivered upset singles wins and OttawaB次元官网网址檚 Gaby Dabrowski was an anchor in doubles. Montreal native Eugenie Bouchard and VancouverB次元官网网址檚 Rebecca Marino rounded out a roster that was captained by Heidi el Tabakh.
B次元官网网址淚 think this was a phenomenal team effort,B次元官网网址� Downey said. B次元官网网址淚 think there was a bonding effort there that was amazing. Rebecca knowing that Marina was ready to go. Gaby ready to play (doubles) with Genie to save Leylah, and Leylah ready to just carry it.
B次元官网网址淚 think theyB次元官网网址檙e going to redefine what (makes) a good team and theyB次元官网网址檙e going to have future success.B次元官网网址�
The 36th-ranked Fernandez won all five of her matches while the 261st-ranked Stakusic B次元官网网址� a virtual unknown entering the 12-team Finals B次元官网网址� displayed a veteranB次元官网网址檚 poise despite being a few weeks shy of her 19th birthday.
B次元官网网址淲hat really helped there is she surprised the competition,B次元官网网址� said Downey, whoB次元官网网址檚 set to retire next month. B次元官网网址淭hereB次元官网网址檚 no book on Marina and she played lights out.B次元官网网址�
Stakusic beat three top-100 opponents B次元官网网址� including 42nd-ranked Martina Trevisan in the final B次元官网网址� and helped take the pressure off the doubles players in group play.
With Andreescu nursing a back injury, Bouchard and Marino were the early favourites to get the assignments in singles play. But el Tabakh went outside the box by selecting Stakusic, who has excelled on the ITF circuit but has never played a WTA Tour main draw match.
B次元官网网址淚 think itB次元官网网址檚 fair to say that a champion (was) born this week,B次元官网网址� el Tabakh told reporters in Spain. B次元官网网址淪he exceeded everyoneB次元官网网址檚 expectations.B次元官网网址�
Canada made its debut at the annual tournament B次元官网网址� previously known as the Federation Cup B次元官网网址� in 1963. The countryB次元官网网址檚 best previous result was a semifinal appearance in 1988.
Marino was with the squad during some of the lean years when Canada was playing in lower-level tiers.
Her tournament debut came in a 3-2 loss at Serbia in February 2011, a year that would see the Canadians demoted from the World GroupB次元官网网址檚 second level to the regional zone group.
B次元官网网址淔rom my first one, losing that tie to suddenly being world champions, itB次元官网网址檚 like a huge turnaround over the course of the last 12 years,B次元官网网址� Marino said at the post-game media availability. B次元官网网址淚B次元官网网址檓 really proud of the women who are sitting beside me, the work they have put in to get us here. ItB次元官网网址檚 been such an effort.B次元官网网址�
Canada booked its ticket in this yearB次元官网网址檚 Finals last April with a 3-2 win over Belgium in Vancouver. Once in Seville, the indoor hardcourts suited the sixth-ranked CanadiansB次元官网网址� style and the squad delivered in the big moments.
B次元官网网址淚 think it starts with just getting some depth,B次元官网网址� Downey said. B次元官网网址淭hereB次元官网网址檚 no doubt that Bianca, Leylah, Gaby, theyB次元官网网址檙e kind of the foundation of this team. TheyB次元官网网址檝e put in the hard time and theyB次元官网网址檝e been very loyal to playing for their country.
B次元官网网址淲e just found a way to always get through but we never got over the top. I think in this one, it was like everything coming together.B次元官网网址�
Tennis CanadaB次元官网网址檚 decision nearly two decades ago to create a national tennis centre, bring in top coaches and form regional pipelines has paid off with results.
Bouchard reached the Wimbledon final in 2014 and Milos Raonic made it to the menB次元官网网址檚 final two years later. The younger generation was watching.
Andreescu and Fernandez B次元官网网址� a 2021 U.S. Open finalist B次元官网网址� would later emerge on the womenB次元官网网址檚 scene. Denis Shapovalov of Richmond Hill, Ont., and MontrealB次元官网网址檚 Felix Auger-Aliassime B次元官网网址� the singles anchors for CanadaB次元官网网址檚 Davis Cup win last year B次元官网网址� would become stars on the ATP Tour.
B次元官网网址淗ow fast you get success is really hard to predict,B次元官网网址� Downey said. B次元官网网址淏ut I do think success begets success.B次元官网网址�
