(Sydney) Félix Auger-Aliassime et Denis Shapovalov ont permis au Canada de se qualifier pour la première fois de son histoire à la finale de la Coupe ATP après qu’ils eurent battu Daniil Medvedev et Roman Safiullin 4-6, 7-5, 10-7 dans un match de double samedi, concrétisant du coup une victoire de 2-1 contre la Russie.
Dimanche, le Canada affrontera l’Espagne. Le duel doit commencer à 1 h 30, heure du Québec.
Medvedev et Safiullin affichaient un dossier de 3-0 en double cette semaine, mais les Canadiens ont mis fin à cette série de succès.
PHOTO MUHAMMAD FAROOQ, FAROOQ/AFP
Denis Shapovalov et Félix Auger-Aliassime serrent la main de Roman Safiullin et Daniil Medvedev à la fin du match.
Shapovalov a entamé le duel sur une note positive pour le Canada en prenant la mesure de Safiullin 6-4, 5-7, 6-4 dans le premier des deux matchs de simple au programme de la journée.
PHOTO ASANKA BRENDON RATNAYAKE, REUTERS
Denis Shapovalov
Medvedev, numéro deux mondial, a cependant égalé le score en dominant Auger-Aliassime 6-4, 6-0 lors de l’autre affrontement en simple.
« Il fallait que j’essaie de demeurer positif. Bien sûr, ç’a été difficile, particulièrement [à cause de] the look of the second set in singles, ”admitted Auger-Aliassime.
PHOTO ASANKA BRENDON RATNAYAKE, REUTERS
Felix Auger-Aliassime
“Denis helped me get started again. We had a rough start in doubles. It was a team effort, really, that got us to come from behind that way. This is the ATP Cup. You can still win with a score of 1-1 and after a tough loss in singles. The key is team effort and we are happy to have won, ”added the Montreal tennis player.
Roberto Bautista Agut secured Spain’s place in the final on Friday when he beat the Polish Hubert Hurkacz 7-6 (6), 2-6, 7-6 (5).
In the first singles duel, Pablo Carreno Busta gave Spain the lead by defeating Jan Zielinski 6-2, 6-1.
Zielinski was called in at the last minute to replace Kamil Majchrzak, forced to self-isolate after testing positive for COVID-19.
Majchrzak had won all three of their singles matches during the group stage for the Polish team.
Spain beat Canada 2-0 in the Davis Cup final in 2019. Shapovalov intends to help his country avenge this failure.
“We’re definitely going to try to change the scenario,” said the Ontarian in his post-game interview on court.
“Our team chemistry is amazing. Félix and I have been playing together for a long time, we trust each other and there is no egocentricity. ”