MALAGA, Spain | For the first time in the history of this competition, more than a century old, it was on Canadian players that the rain of confetti celebrating the winners of the Davis Cup fell on Sunday in Malaga.
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MALAGA, Spain | For the first time in the history of this competition, more than a century old, it was on Canadian players that the rain of confetti celebrating the winners of the Davis Cup fell on Sunday in Malaga.
Led by a Félix Auger-Aliassime at the top of his game and a Denis Shapovalov who had regained his best form, Canada were crowned winners of the “Tennis World Cup” thanks to a victory of two games to nil in the final against amazing Australia.
“We all grew up together, dreaming of being on this stage, of winning these kinds of matches, of winning the Davis Cup”, launched the Quebecer on the ground, after his decisive victory against Alex de Minaur, 24th in the world. , 6-3 and 6-4.
“It’s the realization of a dream, chained the sixth in the world. This is why we play tennis. This is a great moment for us and for the country. »
The most prestigious of team competitions, the Davis Cup was contested for the first time in 1900. Thirteen years later, the Canadians made their debut. In 2019, with a Félix and a “Shapo” still very young, the country went to the final, losing to Spain by Rafael Nadal.
And on Sunday, Auger-Aliassime, Shapovalov, Vasek Pospisil, captain Frank Dancevic as well as Quebec substitutes Alexis Galarneau and Gabriel Diallo (who haven’t seen action this week) helped make Canada the 16th country only to engrave his name on the huge silver salad bowl.
Two convincing victories
In a controversial new formula, which opposes eight nations in a final phase, the representatives of the maple leaf have beaten Germany and Italy with difficulty to reach this final round against the Australians.
Each time, it was in the decisive doubles, to which the 100th world Vasek Pospisil contributed greatly, that Canada obtained its ticket to the next round.
But against Australia, Pospisil’s racquet stayed in his bag. Shapovalov, 18th in the world, recovered well after losing his first two singles of the week, crushing Thanasi Kokkinakis, 6-2 and 6-4.
Then Félix, undefeated this week in both singles and doubles, assured Canada of its first Davis Cup by defeating de Minaur, in a match where the “FAA” offense got the better of the Australian’s speed. .
Once the match point fell outside the lines (see opposite), all the other players in the country rushed for the winner, to the sound of the songs and the trumpets of the forty Canadian supporters – including many Tennis employees Canada – who had made the trip to the beautiful city of Andalusia.
A historic moment that many tennis fans in the country were unfortunately unable to attend live, because the international broadcaster experienced transmission problems during the last game of the match…
“Many Obstacles”
This first Canadian victory is a great lesson in resilience, recalled Dancevic, himself a former player, at a press conference.
“We faced a lot of obstacles this week,” he said. We fell behind several times, but we kept fighting until the end and now we are here with the trophy. It’s an incredible moment. »
Canada’s difficult road to the title began early in the season, when, stripped of its big guns, the country was knocked out of qualifying by the Netherlands.
But due to his world rank, the Maple Leaf was drafted when the Russians, the defending champions, were disqualified.
Then, thanks in particular to the efforts of a Félix who had traveled to Valencia for the second round, the country obtained its ticket to the final phase in September.
Until you lose your voice
Unlike many teams, the maple leaf relied on a “complete formation” for this last round of the competition. Auger-Aliassime, Shapovalov and Pospisil had all decided to extend their season to participate.
The country was also inhabited by a great team spirit, which has been highlighted many times this week. All the players have known each other for a long time and have encouraged each other on the sidelines over the matches.
To the point where Galarneau even lost his voice.
“To get this trophy, you need a great team and a great team spirit,” noted Dancevic.
“What a way to end the year,” added Pospisil. It’s the Davis Cup and we are champions. The world champions. »