Faced with a daunting challenge and very slim hopes of making it through the group stage, Canada was officially eliminated from the Davis Cup Finals in men’s tennis on Sunday in Madrid.
Canada’s elimination was confirmed when Mikhail Kukushkin of Kazakhstan defeated Brayden Schnur 6-3, 6-7 (5), 7-5 in a frenzied duel that lasted almost three hours.
With this loss, the fourth in as many games since the start of the group stage, Canada had no chance of finishing second in Group B.
After a first set that the Canadian conceded in barely 30 minutes, Schnur, 234e world player, looked set to suffer a setback in two consecutive innings after suffering a break in service on the 11e game of the second set.
But against all odds, Schnur extended the duel in the next game by saving three match points for Kukushkin’s service before registering his first break in the clash.
In the subsequent tiebreaker, Schnur scored two consecutive mini-breakers in the sixth and seventh points, to build a 5-2 cushion. He ended this second set on his third set point.
In the deciding set, the two rivals traded breakages in the first two games. Kukushkin, ranked 183e in the world, finally won by breaking the service of Schnur during the 12e game, which would prove to be the last of the game.
In the second singles match of the day, Alexander Bublik, 36e world player, won 6-2, 7-6 (6) against Vasek Pospisil.
PHOTO BERNAT ARMANGUE, ASSOCIATED PRESS
Alexander Bublik celebrated his victory against Vasek Pospisil in his own way.
The Canadian had the opportunity to force a third set as he held two set points, the second of which was in his service with a 6-5 lead in the tiebreaker.
Bublik, however, won these two points and the next two against Pospisil, who entered the tournament at 133e rank of ATP ranking.
In a game to save honor, Canada delegated Schnur and Peter Polansky for the final doubles match against Andrey Golubev and Aleksandr Nedovyesov
Deprived of its two best players in Félix Auger-Aliassime and Denis Shapovalov, who decided to skip the competition after long seasons on the ATP circuit, Canada lost all three of its duel against Sweden on Thursday without winning a single set.
This setback was already putting Canada in a precarious position.
Thanks to their two victories against Canada, Kazakhstan advanced to the quarter-finals as the winner of Group B.