After a quarterfinal success over the German men’s tennis team, the Canadian selection won the Davis Cup for the first time. In the final in Malaga, the North Americans pulled off a historic success over Australia after a single. When they competed in the final for the first time in 2019, the Canadians lost to Spain in the final.
“We all dreamed of this moment,” said top Canadian player Felix Auger-Aliassime with tears in his eyes, calling it “the most beautiful moment” of his young tennis career. “We have grown up together and always wanted to win this title. It is a special moment for the whole country.”
In front of top star Novak Djokovic, who was a spectator in Malaga after the Serb’s exit in the group stage, Denis Shapovalov defeated first-time Australian Thanasi Kokkinakis 6:2, 6:4. Auger-Aliassime, who was then ranked sixth in the world, took the second point with a 6:3, 6:4 win over Alex de Minaur of Canada.
strong team energy
Hand in hand, draped in their red and white flags, the players celebrated the historic victory in front of 9,522 spectators. “We had incredible team energy all week and everyone gave 120 per cent,” said Shapovalov, who won his first singles in Malaga after two previous losses on Sunday.
Germany was knocked out in the quarter-finals on Thursday without Alexander Zverev. The German Tennis Association is still waiting for its first win since 1993 in the reformed team competition. Next year, the DTB squad will make its Davis Cup debut in early February with a home game against Switzerland in Trier.
© dpa-infocom, dpa:221127-99-684057/3
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