Will the Montreal public see Gabriel Diallo and Alexis Galarneau playing singles next weekend, when the metropolis will host a rare stop of the Davis Cup on Canadian soil? Maybe, maybe not.
The captain of the Canadian team, Frank Dancevic, cast doubt on this subject on Tuesday. During a brief press briefing, he felt that it was still “too early in the week” to make any decisions on his choices.
We already know that the local team will be made up of Quebecers Diallo and Galarneau, but also Milos Raonic, Liam Draxl and Vasek Pospisil.
Canada, winner of the Davis Cup in 2022, quarter-finalist in 2023 and currently second in the world rankings for the event, will face South Korea (18e) Friday and Saturday. Each team has until Thursday to nominate its representatives who will play singles and doubles.
PHOTO ROBERT SKINNER, LA PRESSE ARCHIVES
Gabriel Diallo
On paper, Dancevic’s best weapon remains Raonic, who also replaces Denis Shapovalov.
However, given the expected weakness of the South Korean team, it is not far-fetched to believe that Diallo or Galarneau, or even both, could have their chance, especially at home. Both beat higher-ranked Italian opponents as recently as last fall, Dancevic himself recalled.
PHOTO OLIVIER JEAN, LA PRESSE ARCHIVES
Alexis Galarneau
This one, nevertheless, “ [n’a] not yet decided” who will make up its squad.
“I go with those who are playing the best tennis at that moment, or those who, in my opinion, will offer the best opposition,” he analyzed. I listen to my instinct. Strategically, I consider how many matches they are going to play during the weekend, who will be the best in singles or doubles, who is the healthiest, who is coming back from an injury…”
The captain, in other words, tries to assess “who will be the best for each match”. Whether it happens at the IGA stadium, as will be the case next weekend, or elsewhere.
“A different animal”
Dancevic, moreover, refuses to underestimate the South Korean team. His best player, Kwon Soon-woo, beat Félix Auger-Aliassime in 2022, the captain recalled. Kwon, ex-52e world racket, returned to the game at the recent Australian Open after a long convalescence.
“He’s a dangerous player,” warned Dancevic. We will have to play very well against him. »
The Davis Cup, he recalled, reveals “a different animal” in each player. He rightly cites the example of the victories of Diallo and Galarneau “among the most important of their careers”.
“Anything can happen, that’s the beauty of this tournament,” he continued. You can see the best and the worst in a player. Rankings no longer matter. You play for your country, you have the support of your team. Many elements can change the dynamic and make players perform above their usual level. »
PHOTO PATRICK SANFAÇON, THE PRESS
The South Korean team that will face Canada and its captain, Kim Young-jun (center, in front of the microphone)
This rare opportunity to be part of a team, for an athlete playing in an individual sport, provides “a different feeling”. “You feel like you have a lot of weight on your shoulders, that you’re playing for everyone rather than by yourself in a match in the middle of nowhere. You know that there is much more at stake, that your teammates have confidence in you. »
The support of the crowd will also be, according to Dancevic, precious. “That’s a big factor. [Les partisans] have been amazing to us in the past. It’s always a pleasure to play in front of them. »
Playing at home is a luxury, he also noted. It is the host federation which decides the city and courts where the duels will take place, even the time of the matches. That being said, the advantage is relative against South Korea, whose players are used to the speed of the courts at the IGA stadium.
The event has also been anticipated for a long time, while no Davis Cup match has been presented in Canada since 2018, and never in Montreal since 2012.