Monday Digest: Storms in Cancun and Billie Jean King Cup Finals On The Horizon

As 2023 begins to near its end, there are still a number of tournaments to keep an eye on. 

This past week saw Gabriela Dabrowski and partner Erin Routliffe fight through storms at the WTA Finals in Cancun, while Team Canada made its way to the quarter-finals of the 2023 Davis Cup Juniors Finals in Spain. 

With a few more big opportunities for Canadians to make their country proud, November is shaping up to be a hectic month. 

Here’s what you need to know. 

In Case You Missed It: Delays and Rain in Cancun 

The WTA Finals conclude today, something slightly out of the ordinary as tournaments usually come to a close on Sundays. Thanks to a barrage of rain, the matches on Saturday were largely delayed, creating a tight schedule for Sunday, and a delayed final matchup. 

Gabriela Dabrowski and Erin Routliffe cruised to the semifinals but ran into some trouble against Nicole Melichar-Martinez and Ellen Perez, who bested them in three sets. 

The duo’s quest for a final doubles title in 2023 was derailed in unfortunate circumstances, but their dominance in the group stage showed just how dangerous they can be in 2024. 

Across the Atlantic Ocean were two other tournaments that saw great efforts from Canadian players. 

Robert Shaw took part in the NEC Wheelchair Masters in Spain in both quad singles and doubles but saw more success in the latter draw. 

He and his partner Heath Davidson of Australia finished in second place in the round-robin but lost to the Dutch duo of Sam Schroder and Niels Vink.  

Elsewhere in Spain, the 2023 Davis Cup Juniors finals occurred with Team Canada making its way to the quarter-finals before finishing their run in seventh place. 

The team finished 2-1 in their group stage ties before facing off against Spain in the knock-out stage. They wound up losing 3-0 and played Great Britain and Germany in subsequent ties to finish the tournament.  

Finally, Felix Auger-Aliassime looked to win titles in back-to-back weeks at the Paris Masters.  

Though he looked great in his first match against German Jan-Lennard Struff, he could not replicate his dominance in the following match against Stefanos Tsitsipas. 

What to Watch: Team Canada Looks to Win First Billie Jean King Cup Finals 

With the WTA Finals in the rearview, all sights are set on Team Canada this week who will participate in the Billie Jean King Cup finals in Seville, Spain. 

With Leylah Annie Fernandez anchoring the team, she’ll look to continue the hot streak she ended the qualifiers with earlier this year. Her Belgian opponents looked lost in their matchups, something Fernandez will hope to repeat against her Spanish and Polish opponents. 

Rebecca Marino, Gabriela Dabrowski, and Marina Stakusic will also look to make the most of their opportunities, while Eugenie Bouchard rejoins the team for the first time since 2018. 

With new and familiar faces abound for Team Canada at the Billie Jean King Cup Finals this year, Canada’s best will look to bring home the country’s first tournament win. 

It won’t just be the women looking to bring home a first title. The Billie Jean King Cup Juniors finals are also underway, and Team Canada will have to fend off Australia, Czechia, and Latvia as they aim to qualify for the knock-out stage. 

Nadia Lagaev, Isabella Morton, and Addison Comiskey make up Team Canada’s juniors team. 

Under the Radar: Justin Boulais Comes Up Big 

Coming off a slightly disappointing run at the 2023 Pan American Games, Justin Boulais bounced back as well as one could hope. 

Last week, the Canadian participated in the Edmonton National Bank Challenger and came out on top defeating fellow Canadians Marko Stakusic and Liam Draxl along the way. 

In the finals, he bested Giles Hussey of the U.K. in three sets and didn’t allow his opponent to win a single game in the final act. 

This week, the Calgary National Bank Challenger is taking place with Canadians like Gabriel Diallo, Draxl, and Boulais attempting to bring Canada another title victory in home soil. 

At the same time, the W60 in Calgary is underway with Katherine Sebov, who recently won the Saguenay National Bank Challenger, Martyna Ostrzygalo, and Kayla Cross making up some of the Canadians playing.