Canada won the first tennis Davis Cup in its history this Sunday by beating Australia 2-0 thanks to the victories of Denis Shapovalov and Félix Auger-Aliassime in the Finals in Malaga, Spain.
Shapovalov, number 18 in the world, prevailed over Thanasi Kokkinakis (95th) by 6-2 and 6-4while Auger-Aliassimenumber 6 in the ATP ranking, did the same against Alex de Minaur (No. 24), by 6-3 and 6-4under the watchful eye of Novak Djokovic and his son, Stefan.
“We have grown up together, in Canada, since we were 7, 8 years old, dreaming of playing the biggest tournaments, winning these types of matches and win the Davis Cupcommented Auger-Aliassime just after reaching the point of his triumph.
Canada, what did you expect 109 years to get his first Silver Salad Bowlhas come a long way since being eliminated by the Netherlands in March.
But the exclusion of Russiawho held the title, due to the conflict in Ukraine, left a free space: Serbia could have benefited, but having previously received a wild card to the 2022 finals, Canada were the play-offs.
canada finished second in group B behind Spain in September, before eliminating Germany in the quarterfinals (2-1) and Italy in the semifinals (2-1).
Canada DAVIS CUP champion!!! ???
?? They beat Australia 2-0 and celebrate the title for the first time in their history. #Davis cup #byRakuten Yo @TennisCanada pic.twitter.com/5B3nLeAq8E
— Davis Cup (@DavisCup) November 27, 2022
– “Big moment” –
“Is really a great moment, for me and for the country“, declared Auger-Aliassime at the end of the final.
The Canadians, defeated by Spain in the final in 2019 in the first edition of the new format, succeed Russia in the palmares
This time, Canada became the 16th nation to lift the Davis Cup trophy.
For the men led by captain Franck Dancevic, with the experienced Vasek Pospisil who participated in his twelfth Davis Cup Since 2008, this Salad Bowl crowns a splendid year that began in January in Australia with the ATP Cup title.
For his part, Auger-Aliassime He won his fifth title (his first four on the ATP circuit: Rotterdam, Florence, Antwerp and Basel) at the end of a season that has seen him face the best tennis players on the planet.
‘FAA’, 22, finished in sixth place in the world a season started in eleventh place. He even dropped to 13th in September after his second-round elimination at the US Open, before going on a string of sixteen wins and three titles, ending in the semifinals at the Masters 1000 in Paris.
