Canada's Fernandez opens Bille Jean King Cup qualifier with win over Latvia's Semenistaja

VANCOUVER — Canada’s Rebecca Marino rallied for a gutsy 6-3, 6-7(4), 6-3 victory over Daniela Vismane of Latvia in a Billie Jean King Cup qualifier on Friday.

The win gave Canada a convincing 2-0 lead after Leylah Fernandez of Laval, Que., downed Darja Seminstaja 6-1, 6-2 to open the series.

Vancouver’s Marino, ranked 111th in the world, used a blistering serve to top Vismane, firing 17 aces across the match and sending one ball soaring over the net at 200 km per hour.

But Marino, Canada’s No. 2 seed in the series struggled with unforced errors at times, making 55 across the two hour, seven minute match.

The series will continue Saturday with two more singles matches and a doubles match.

The winner of the qualifier will advance to the finals in November.

Marino used her powerful serve to take the first set handily on Friday, but was forced to play from behind in the second, where she made 21 unforced errors.

The crowd remained behind the Canadian, with the most boisterous applause erupting when she sent a return directly down the line to it up at 6-6.

A series of errors cost her in the tiebreak and Vismane took the set when Marino sent a return well beyond the service line.

The 31-year-old Marino won three of six break points across the match, including one midway through the third set that gave her a 4-2 lead.

She clinched the win with yet another ace.

Fernandez, ranked 21st in the world, dominated her match, firing a single ace and winning seven of nine break points.

She jumped out to an early lead, not allowing Semenistaja, the world No. 389, a single point in the first game.

The Latvian broke her Canadian counterpart's serve in the third game, but the 19-year-old Fernandez rallied and did not drop another game across