One other day of robust performances by Denis Shapovalov and Félix Auger-Aliassime gave Staff Canada their second victory of the 2024 Davis Cup Finals group stage in Manchester as they swept Finland 3-0.
Shapovalov completed robust as he opened the day with a win over Eero Vasa, organising Auger-Aliassime to clinch the tie with a victory towards Otto Virtanen, avenging Canada’s loss to the Finns within the 2023 Davis Cup quarter-finals. For good measure, the 2 Canadians stars teamed as much as full the sweep with a straight-set doubles win.
Whereas Canada has not but clinched a spot within the Davis Cup Remaining 8 in Malaga, they may achieve this with out hitting one other ball relying on the outcomes over the following two days earlier than Canada performs Nice Britain on Sunday.
Shapovalov as soon as once more did his job to offer Staff Canada the lead on the 2024 Davis Cup Finals group stage in Manchester, defeating Eero Vasa in straight units on Thursday to attain the opening level of their second round-robin tie towards Finland.
Fast begins in each units put the wind on the Canadian’s again, though Vasa didn’t go away quietly. Shapovalov needed to maintain his by no means to maintain the highly effective Finn at bay and provides Canada the 1-0 lead with a 7-6(2), 6-2, win.
Aside from one sport early within the first set, it was a superb serving efficiency from Shapovalov, who solely misplaced 10 factors on serve in the entire match, simply two within the second set. The Canadian gained 84 per cent of his first serve factors and solely confronted two break factors within the match. He additionally had 16 winners to his opponent’s seven, whereas Vasa threw in 40 unforced errors.
Shapovalov got here charging out of the gate, profitable 12 of the primary 13 factors together with all eight on his serve of which 5 have been unreturned serves. Vasa was struggling to seek out his vary early and a double fault adopted by a forehand properly lengthy gave away an early break.
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As soon as the Finn settled in, he was in a position to flip the momentum round rapidly. He used his massive first serve to begin holding and Shapovalov performed a sloppy sport at 3-1, double-faulting to offer the break again. The 2 remained even for the remainder of the set, though Vasa did have to avoid wasting a set level on his serve at 4-5, delivering an ace.
Within the tiebreak, Shapovalov once more raced out to a 3-0 lead, courtesy of consecutive errors by Vasa on his personal serve, and this time he didn’t let his early benefit slip away. He led the breaker wire to wire and took the opening set.
Similar to the primary, Shapovalov got here out flying to begin the second set whereas Vasa appeared sluggish. The Canadian broke to like within the opening sport, courtesy of a Vasa double fault, a then backed it up with a maintain to like for a 2-0 lead.
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There was no letdown within the second set. Shapovalov was in full circulation, forcing Vasa to run laps behind the baseline together with his pinpoint groundstrokes. The serve was untouchable because the Canadian gained his first 12 factors in a row, three love holds, and added a second break for good measure on his approach to victory.
Clutch Play from FAA
For the second tie in a row, Félix Auger-Aliassime got here out for the second singles match with an opportunity to seal the win for Staff Canada and as soon as once more made no mistake, beating Otto Virtanen in straight units to clinch the tie.
Auger-Aliassime was in a position to deal with the Finn daring hitting and seized his alternatives once they arose, making his transfer halfway by means of each units for a 6-2, 6-3 win.
Like his countryman, the Canadian delivered a powerful service efficiency, profitable 86 per cent of his first serve factors and by no means dropping serve, saving all three break factors he confronted. Virtanen’s massive hitting, which was so lethal within the 2023 quarter-final between the 2 nations, was not as efficient on Thursday as he dedicated 33 unforced errors.
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In contrast to the earlier tie, the place Auger-Aliassime virtually mirrored Shapovalov’s efficiency on the scoreboard, the Canadian picked up his sport because the set went alongside. His first take a look at a break got here at 3-2 when Virtanen netted a serve-and-volley try and on the following break level, Auger-Aliassime dominated the rally, finally ending with a forehand winner to grab the initiative.
After battling to consolidate, saving a break level with some big-hitting, the Canadian put the strain on as Virtanen served to remain within the set at 5-2. The Finn cracked, hitting back-to-back double faults handy the set to Canada.
Virtanen had an opportunity to alter the momentum within the opening sport of the second set when Auger-Aliassime missed a backhand to offer him a pair of break factors. However the Canadian discovered the big-hitting he wanted to bash his method out of the jam.
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That maintain allowed the Montrealer to get again on the entrance foot. After lacking a break level within the fourth sport, he made his transfer on the similar time he did within the opening set. Because the set went alongside, Virtanen’s sport was changing into extra erratic and at 3-2, a slew of errors gave Auger-Aliassime a take a look at the break. A double fault from the Finn gifted the initiative to the Canadian No. 1.
That lone break was all Auger-Aliassime wanted to lock up the win and the tie.
Félix and Denis roll in doubles
Félix Auger-Aliassime and Denis Shapovalov promptly returned to the courtroom for doubles, capping a clear sweep of Finland with a 6-2, 7-5 victory over Harri Heliovarra and Otto Virtanen at AO Enviornment.
Whereas each Canadians have been pulling double obligation after notching their singles wins, they appeared lots refreshed and energized, rolling to the win in 73 minutes.
The duo gained 79% of their first serve factors and broke serve 4 occasions within the decisive straight units victory.
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Shapovalov and Auger-Aliassime have been eager to impose and dictate play early, and within the fourth sport of the opening set, the duo transformed on their second break level probability to take an early 3-1 lead.
It’s one they’d not relinquish; they scored a second break on the tail finish of the set to shut the opener 6-2 in simply 32 minutes.
The Finnish group managed to boost their stage within the second set, as the 2 doubles squads traded holds by means of six consecutive video games.
Heliovarra and Virtanen lastly discovered a bout of momentum, changing a second break level alternative within the seventh sport for a 4-3 lead. It was nevertheless met with a right away response from the Canadians as Auger-Aliassime struck an inside-out forehand winner to stage the set at 4-all.
With Heliovarra serving down 5-6, the Canadians ramped up further strain on return to deliver up two match factors. One last massive forehand return from Shapovalov drew a compelled error from Virtanen, clinching the victory for the Canucks.
Canada now sits first place in Group D with a 5-1 file by means of two ties. They’ll face Nice Britain on Sunday.
