US Open finalist Fernandez to sit out Billie Jean King Cup

TORONTO (AP) — U.S. Open runner-up Leylah Fernandez will not be part of Canada's team for the Billie Jean King Cup finals next month.

Tennis Canada confirmed that Fernandez pulled out of the team's roster for the Nov. 1-6 matches in Prague and is being replaced by Carol Zhao.

The other members of the country's squad are Rebecca Marino, Gabriela Dabrowski and Françoise Abanda.

Canada is scheduled to open the finals by facing 2019 champion France and Russia. The 2020 edition of the event was called off because of the coronavirus pandemic.

The 19-year-old Fernandez turned in a breakthrough performance at the U.S. Open, making it all the way to the final before losing to another unseeded teenager, Emma Raducanu.

Fernandez arrived at Flushing Meadows ranked No. 73 and left at a career-best No. 28 after beating defending champion Naomi Osaka in the third round, followed by 2016 champion Angelique Kerber and top-five seeds Elina Svitolina and Aryna Sabalenka.

Fernandez was eliminated in singles and doubles from the hard-court tournament in Indian Wells, California, on Tuesday.

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