It’s about as good per week Group Canada might have requested for within the Davis Cup Group Stage from Manchester.
Led by electrical performances from Félix Auger-Aliassime and Denis Shapovalov, the Canadians completed first in Group D, and introduced themselves as a peak contender in on the Davis Cup Finals later this Fall.
Canada is heading again to Malaga
The 2022 Davis Cup champions returned to the Remaining 8 in Malaga, Spain with a composed, convincing week of tennis in Manchester.
Learn: Canada will get the job accomplished at Davis Cup
Competing in Group D, the squad comprised of Auger-Aliassime, Shapovalov, Gabriel Diallo, Vasek Pospisil, and Alexis Galarneau opened on Tuesday in opposition to a gifted Argentinian squad.
The group was quick out of the blocks, as Shapovalov overcame Francisco Cerundolo, whereas five-time ATP titlist Auger-Aliassime ripped by Sebastian Baez 6-3, 6-3.
The momentum from the gifted stars continued in opposition to Finland, because the very long time Canadian buddies notched straight units wins in singles and teamed up for a doubles victory to finish a sweep on Thursday.
Sitting in pole place and needing just one match win to clinch their spot in Malaga on the weekend, Captain Frank Dancevic entrusted his 25-year-old left-hander to ship. Shapovalov would play one among his finest matches of 2024, dismantling Nice Britain’s Dan Evans 6-0, 7-5.
In an empty singles rubber, Auger-Aliassime earned a measure of revenge in opposition to Britain’s highest ranked participant Jack Draper, profitable a intently contested conflict 7-6, 7-5 – the Brit had overwhelmed the Canadian in a controversial match in Cincinnati earlier this summer season.
Ending Group D in first place with a 7-2 mark, the squad reaffirmed themselves as a prime contender. Argentina additionally superior from the group, whereas Germany, Italy, Spain, Australia, Netherlands, and the USA spherical out the Remaining 8 line-up.
The Davis Cup Finals are set to start November nineteenth, and Canada is slated to face both the Netherlands or Germany in quarter-finals motion. The complete draw shall be unveiled on Thursday.
Profession finest efficiency for Stakusic
Whereas Canadian males had been making noise in Europe, 19-year-old Marina Stakusic produced a profession finest outcome on the WTA circuit in Mexico.
Competing on the Guadalajara Open, the Canadian, who was granted a wild-card to the WTA500, kicked off the event in assured trend with a 6-2, 6-4 win over Anna Karolina Schmiedlova.
That set the stage for a blockbuster thriller in opposition to prime seed and 2017 French Open champion, Jelena Ostapenko.
The conflict, which lasted 3 hours and 4 minutes, had a collection of momentum swings. Stakusic was on the entrance foot and near victory, main 6-3, 5-3 earlier than her veteran opponent unleashed a livid rally.
Ostapenko rattled off eight consecutive video games, seizing management with a 3-6, 7-5, 4-0 lead. Nonetheless, The Billie Jean King Cup champion remained undeterred, digging in to get issues again on serve, saving 4 match factors whereas trailing 5-6, and shutting by profitable seven consecutive in factors within the third set tiebreak to e-book her spot within the last 8.
The victory over the World No. 12 marked Stakusic’s finest profession win by rating, and a primary ever WTA quarter-final.
She’s now as much as a profession excessive rating of 128 and can once more signify Canada on the Billie Jean King Cup Finals this Fall.
Learn: Group Canada roster set for Billie Jean King Cup Finals in Malaga
Again-to-back from Cross and Arseneault, Fung nabs singles title
Canadians Ariana Arseneault and Kayla Cross proceed to like the nice and cozy climate and ocean view within the Dominican Republic.
The tandem captured a second consecutive doubles title on the W35 occasion in Punta Cana. Arseneault, who additionally reached the quarterfinals in doubles on the Nationwide Financial institution Open this summer season, is as much as a profession excessive rating of 204, whereas Cross jumped 21 spots to 239.
In the meantime, 27-year-old Stacey Fung loved an awesome week in Portugal, profitable the W35 occasion in Santarem for her first ITF title of 2024 and ninth total. With the victory, the Canadian makes her return to the highest 300 of the singles rankings.
