After more than nine hours of fighting, Canada’s doubles decided against Italy (2-1) and confirmed the poster for the final of this Davis Cup with Australia as the second contender. Both will be measured this Sunday (from 1 p.m., Movistar) from radically different positions and with a very open prognosis, with the greater attrition of the North Americans in the final battle for the Salad Bowl playing a decisive role; While debating, the opponents relaxed their legs and watched through the TV. Whoever wins, the trophy will leave Europe for the second time in 15 years; only Argentina (2016) broke the dominance of the old continent in this strip.
It’s history versus effervescence, the weight of a historic versus the rise of a new, and this isn’t the first time Canada have contested the final three years ago. Then he lost to Spain at the Caja Mágica in Madrid and now he’s challenging Australia at the Martín Carpena, classic and hierarchical where they come from, but depressed for just as long because to find his latest success you have to go back to 2003. Back then he triumphed with Lleyton Hewitt as his banner, and now the former number one is commanding a medium-profile group from the bench – De Miñaur (24th in the ATP) is his reference – who knows how to dress up very well on the these days Expressway claims route in Malaga.
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The Oceanians are looking to win their 29th trophy and close the gap on the USA at 32. They left the Netherlands and Croatia behind in the closing stages to face one of the liveliest teams of the day. Led by Felix Auger-Aliassime, the player with the best finish (6th) in the result of this Davis, energetic Canada managed to pull themselves out of the quagmire against Italy, thanks to Lorenzo Sonego (7th 6 (4), 6th). -7 (5) and 6-4 against Denis Shapovalov in 3h 15) and then succumbed to pressure from a team that did better and deserved it more. Without Yannik Sinner on the payroll, the Turin native was again the best soloist. However, the one who rose in the end was the young Canadian.
“Yes, this year is going to be a very special journey,” said Auger-Aliassime, who held a plenary session in Davis (six out of six) in 2022 and also recorded the four titles that shine in his locker – Rotterdam, Florence, Antwerp and Basel – and at the end of a terrific final phase of the season; “I feel good, there is no time for tiredness. We have the best team in our history and we deserve to be where we are.”
As in the quarterfinals against the Germans, Aliassime acted as a fire extinguisher in the face of Shapovalov’s blunder. As a new participant in the Masters Cup, he broke down and the dynamic changed. He intervened again with his team neck-deep in water after his partner (touched in the back) buckled at the opening, leaving his team, led by Frank Dancevic, in a compromised situation. First he defeated Lorenzo Musetti (6-3 and 6-4, in 1h 26m) and then vaulted with Vasek Pospisil to seal the victory against the duo of Fabio Fognini and Matteo Berrettini (7-6(2) and 7-5 , in 2h 04m). The latter was the big surprise. A priori, Simone Bolelli was supposed to form, but coach Filippo Volandri sought the coup with the Roman, who initially only accompanied him encouragingly, theoretically in reserve because of a problem with his left foot: “It wasn’t my best performance, it’s for sure”.
Neither he nor Fognini was doing well and Italy were once again left with their arms akimbo. He intended to return to the final after a 24-year absence – 1998 as the latest precedent – and the only laurel that appears on his record calls for returning by 1976, times of an impressive quartet, Panatta, Barazzutti, Zugarelli and Bertolucci. Today the federal plan is working and its young people are fleeing, but Canada has set the line. The North Americans will look to reverse their defeat three years ago in Madrid while also establishing themselves as the strongest team of the year, having already won the ATP Cup in January; If they succeed, they will reissue twice what Russia achieved last year and vetoed this year in the contest for war.
So far, Australia and Canada have met ten times and clearly decided in favor of the first with a score of 9-1. However, these nine Australian victories are accumulated since the sixties (1964, 1959, 1955, 1950, 1949…) while the Canadians won 2-1 in 2019.
RESULTS OF DAY 5
Canada, 2 – Italy, 1.
Lorenzo Sonego, 7-6 (4), 6-7 (5) and 6-4 for Denis Shapovalov.
Felix Auger-Aliassime, 6-3 and 6-4 against Lorenzo Musetti.
Pospisil/Auger-Aliassime, 7-6(2) and 7-5 for Fognini/Berrettini.
Sunday 27 (Movistar).
From 13:00: Australia-Canada.
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