NEW YORK, NY – AUGUST 25: Francoise Abanda of Canada returns a shot against Sabine Lisicki of Germany during her women’s singles first round match on Day One of the 2014 US Open at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center on August 25, 2014 in the Flushing neighborhood of the Queens borough of New York City. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)
QUEBEC — Canada’s Francoise Abanda will make her Fed Cup debut Saturday against Karolina Pliskova of the Czech Republic.
Abanda, from Montreal, will open the best-of-five tie at Laval University in the early afternoon match. Ottawa’s Gabriela Dabrowski will take on Tereza Smitkova in the second singles rubber in the evening.
Reverse singles and the doubles match are set for Sunday. Toronto’s Sharon Fichman and Charlotte Robillard-Millette of Blainville, Que., are also on the eighth-ranked Canadian team, which is competing in the elite World Group for the first time.
“The Czechs have a lot of depth with extremely talented players and we are expecting a battle this weekend,” Canadian captain Sylvain Bruneau said after the draw. “We have prepared ourselves for some tough matches, and are really looking forward to getting out there and playing in front of another great crowd here in Quebec City.
“It will be a great experience and we will do everything we can to try and advance to the semifinals.”
The top-ranked Czech Republic is the defending champion and has won three titles in the last four years. The loser of the tie will need to compete in a World Group playoff to keep its place in the elite group for 2016.
