By Alberto Amalfi | Thursday, November 24, 2022
Canada performed catch-up to edge Germany—and proceed its quest to gather a maiden Davis Cup.
Veteran Vasek Pospisil and Denis Shapovalov rallied previous Kevin Krawietz and Tim Puetz, 2-6, 6-3, 6-3 to clinch Canada’s 2-1 victory over Germany in an exhilarating doubles duel in Malaga, Spain.
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The victory vaults Canada into its fourth Davis Cup semifinal the place it can face Italy.
Earlier, Simone Bolelli and Fabio Fognini defeated Tommy Paul and Jack Sock 6-4, 6-4 to seal Italy’s 2-1 victory over the United States.
Canada, which was runner-up to host Spain within the 2019 Davis Cup Final staged in Madrid, is intent on capturing its first Davis Cup in historical past.
“It feels amazing,” Pospisil mentioned. “Obviously we have had some nice taste of success in Davis Cup in previous years and made the final in 2019. So we are obviously hungry to kind of experience that again and go, you know, one further. Obviously that’s the thing we’d all love to do at some stage in our careers.
“We’re undoubtedly on the lookout for that title this week, it is what we wish, however clearly each match is so robust.”
Felix Auger-Aliassime fired 15 aces and won 31 of 35 first-serve points defeating Oscar Otte 7-6(1), 6-4 to level Canada with Germany after two matches and set the stage for the decisive doubles.
“Felix got here out, performed superb to maintain us alive, and it is by no means straightforward getting back from a match that you just simply misplaced as effectively to, you realize, come again with and need to end out the tie with a win,” Canadian captain Frank Dancevic said. “Vasek, along with his expertise, a veteran on the workforce, I believe he is an enormous key to our success, as effectively. These guys, they’ve nice vitality. When they discover the vitality within the matches, I really feel so assured they will beat any workforce on this planet.
“It was amazing to watch. They showed so much heart going in the match, and again, in the beginning of the match, it was tough to find the rhythm. But once they found the rhythm and once they got in the groove, they played lights out. They played amazing. Took control of the match.”
Germany’s Jan-Lennard Struff opened at the moment’s play stopping Shapovalov 6-3, 4-6, 7-6(2) to stake Germany to a 1-0 lead.
Shapovalov shook off that stinging defeat to companion Pospisil to the clinching victory.
“Struff is an opponent that I have struggled with in the past. He plays big for big matches,” Shapovalov mentioned. “Yeah, I was struggling a little bit with the timing, with my serve in the match. It’s first match in a couple weeks for me, as well.
“I believe normally, I imply, it was a very good struggle for me. I believe the extent was fairly excessive lots of moments within the match, and, yeah, it undoubtedly sucks to not get that win for the workforce. You know, it is robust.
“But luckily we have Felix, as well, who is, you know, who brought us back alive and gave us a chance to play for the doubles. Huge credits to Felix.”
Photo credit score: Getty