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Canada’s first look on the United Cup got here to an early finish on Wednesday in Sydney after a sweep by the hands of Greece. With the loss, Canada will end final in Sydney Group B and won’t advance to the knockout stage.
Greece was one of many strongest groups within the competitors, one in all solely three to boast each High 10 gamers in each the ATP and WTA rankings, they usually have been an excessive amount of for the Canadians to deal with within the remaining tie of the group stage, successful all three matches in straight units.
As soon as once more, Leylah Annie Fernandez and Steven Diez have been the singles representatives for Canada as they’d been in the nation’s 2-1 win over Chile within the opening match of the Group Stage. Fernandez had been victorious within the Chile tie however had overwhelmed an opponent outdoors the High 600. She was up in opposition to world No. 9 Maria Sakkari for Greece and regardless of pushing the 2023 Guadalajara champion, the Canadian couldn’t discover a option to rating a win, falling in straight units 7-6(2), 6-3.
Fernandez had her possibilities within the opening set, breaking for a 2-0 lead after which holding 4 set factors on Sakkari’s serve within the 10th sport, however the Greek refused to let her draw back. Sakkari finally took the set in a tiebreak. The Canadian once more broke early within the second set and led 3-1, however the Greek gained the final 5 video games in a row to land the primary blow for her nation.
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Diez suffered the same destiny as he did in opposition to Chile, shedding once more in straight units to a different High 20 opponent, this time in opposition to world No. 6 Stefanos Tsitsipas 6-2, 6-3.
The match was just like Diez’s clash with Nicolas Jarry, because the Canadian hung with a participant ranked considerably above him however didn’t trigger a lot discomfort. In contrast to the Jarry match, Diez did handle to create a break level probability within the first set, however it got here when he was already down a break and he didn’t convert.
Within the second set, a single double fault price the Canadian as he despatched his second serve lengthy on what proved to be the one break level for both man within the set.
Welcome Again Felix
If there was a silver lining for the Canadians, it was the 2024 debut of Felix Auger-Aliassime, who had not performed a aggressive match in over two months because of a knee harm, within the combined doubles match.
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Nonetheless, by the point Auger-Aliassime and Stacey Fung took to the courtroom for the combined doubles, Canada had already been eradicated as they have been assured to complete final within the group. They have been defeated by Stefanos’ brother Petros Tsitsipas and Despina Papamichail in straight units 7-5, 6-3.
Like Fernandez had, the Canadians scored an early break to start out the match and went up 3-0, however each time they constructed some momentum, the Greeks have been in a position to reel the Canadian pair again in. They leveled at 4-4 earlier than breaking within the 11th sport.
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In set two, it was the Canadians’ flip to battle again, twice responding instantly after being damaged. However after breaking proper again within the eighth sport of the second set, they have been damaged once more immediately earlier than Tsitsipas served out the match.
Regardless of the defeat, it was a optimistic efficiency for Auger-Aliassime who appeared sturdy, ripping a number of large returns, utilizing his crazy floor strokes successfully, and displaying off some stunning contact on the web. It bodes nicely for the Canadian heading into the Australian Open.
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