Canada Finishes Fifth at Junior Fed Cup

October 5, 2009

After a fantastic display of tennis, Canada’s Junior Fed Cup team finished in an extremely respectable fifth place at the finals held in San Luis Potosi, Mexico last week. Having just missed out on the main draw, Canada topped the bracket competing for fifth to eighth spot by defeating China and Croatia.

Canada earned its first doubles victory of the finals against China to send them through to a showdown for fifth and sixth place against Croatia. After Elisabeth Abanda (Montreal) lost the opening singles match, Eugenie Bouchard (Westmount, Quebec) evened the score and paired up with Elianne Douglas-Miron (Ottawa) to take the doubles match and the tie.

Abanda did not need any saving in the tie against Croatia as she defeated Matea Cutura after facing a match point in the third set, 7-6(3), 2-6, 7-5. Bouchard sealed the victory with a 6-1, 6-3 win over Dora Vajdic. The doubles match was not contested. Bouchard is one of a select few players to win all five of her singles matches during the week.

Canada’s fifth place finish is a huge improvement over 2008 when the team did not qualify for the finals after losing a tough qualifying tie against eventual champions Team USA on home soil in Montreal.