Canada’s Leylah Fernandez will face Darja Semenistaja of Latvia to kick off a Billie Jean King Cup qualifier in Vancouver on Friday.
Fernandez, ranked 21st in the world, comes in as Canada’s top seed while Semenistaja, the world No. 389, is Latvia’s second seed. Canadian Rebecca Marino will take on Latvia’s top seed Daniela Vismane later on Friday.
Saturday will see Fernandez play Vismane, ranked 230, and Marino, the world No. 111, face Semenistaja. Later, Canada’s Gabriela Dabrowski and Carol Zhao will take on Liga Dekmeijere and Diana Marcinkevica in doubles action.
Latvia is without two of its stars, including world No. 11 Jelena Ostapenko, who suffered a wrist injury at the Miami Open. Anastasija Sevastova is also out after announcing in January that she was taking a break from tennis to deal with an undisclosed ailment.
Canada comes into the series ranked ninth in the world while Latvia sits at No. 14.
The winner of the series will advance to the 2022 finals in November.
RELATED: Canada’s Flushing Meadows darling Leylah Fernandez comes up short in US Open women’s final
The Canadian Press
