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All of it comes all the way down to this. One week, one occasion, one extraordinarily massive trophy up for grabs.
Eight nations, together with Staff Canada introduced by Sobeys, will do battle on the Davis Cup this week in Malaga, the ultimate occasion on the 2022 tennis calendar.
The Canadians will like their probabilities of ending the 12 months on a excessive word as they’re sending their A-team, stuffed with gamers coming into the Finals in sturdy kind.
Right here’s what you’ll want to know forward of the final week of tennis…. For a month.
What to Watch: Canada’s Greatest Search for Robust End in Malaga
After two years in Madrid, the Davis Cup Finals shifts to the south coast of Spain for the third version of the re-formatted occasion.
Canada is one in all eight groups who superior to the knockout stage after a profitable marketing campaign throughout the group stage in September.
The Canadian crew in Malaga is almost equivalent to the one which completed second in Group B in Valencia two months in the past, defeating Spain and South Korea, solely with one key addition.
Félix Auger-Aliassime and Vasek Pospisil carried the load within the group stage and are again for the knockout spherical, as are Alexis Galarneau and Gabriel Diallo who have been each a part of the group-stage squad.
Becoming a member of the Valencia group is world No. 18 Denis Shapovalov, who shall be returning to the Canadian crew for the primary time because the 2019 Davis Cup Finals.
Shapovalov, Auger-Aliassime and Pospisil have been all members of the 2019 squad that reached the ultimate of the Davis Cup for the primary time within the trendy period. The final time Shapovalov and Auger-Aliassime teamed up for Canada, they gained the ATP Cup in January.
By way of particular person participant rankings, Canada boasts the strongest lineup of the eight nations. At No. 6 on the planet, Auger-Aliassime is the very best ranked participant in Malaga, whereas Shapovalov is more likely to be the highest-ranked No. 2 participant for any nation.
Germany is the primary nation standing in Canada’s approach. They’ll meet within the quarter-finals on Thursday at 4:00 pm native (10:00 am EST). The Germans are led by Oscar Otte and Jan-Lennard Struff.
Auger-Aliassime gained his lone earlier match with Otte final month indoors in Florence in three units. It was the primary victory of what turned a 16-match profitable streak for the Canadian.
Shapovalov may be very acquainted with his potential opponent, Struff. The pair have performed eight occasions, with the German main the head-to-head 5-3. Nevertheless, Shapovalov has gained two of the final three conferences, together with earlier this 12 months in worldwide play on the ATP Cup. The Canadian has additionally gained three of 5 matches on onerous courts with the German.
Ought to Canada defeat Germany, they might meet both Italy or america within the semifinals. The Individuals have the second-highest ranked singles gamers behind the Canadians, No. 9 Taylor Fritz, who beat Auger-Aliassime final week on the ATP Finals, and No. 19 Frances Tiafoe. Canada’s semifinal could be on Saturday, Nov. 26.
On the opposite half of the attract Malaga, hosts Spain play Croatia, whereas Australia faces the Netherlands.
The ultimate shall be performed on Sunday, Nov. 27.
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Whereas most members of Staff Canada had sturdy finishes to their seasons, Vasek Pospisil could also be arriving in Malaga with probably the most wind in his sails after claiming the ATP Challenger title on residence soil final week in Drummondville.
The victory bookends the season with titles for the Canadian No. 3, who gained a Challenger occasion in France in January.
Pospisil defeated second seed Michael Mmoh in three units within the remaining to assert his 11th profession ATP Challenger title and his first in Canada since 2013. With the win, he jumps again into the Prime 100 within the ATP Rankings for the primary time in a 12 months.
Eight Canadians have been competing in Drummondville, together with Pospisil’s Davis Cup teammates Gabriel Diallo and Alexis Galarneau, who reached the quarter-finals.
The ATP Finals capped off the 2022 season final week with Novak Djokovic rising from the elite eight-man discipline to assert his sixth title on the year-end championships.
That group included Félix Auger-Aliassime, who made his debut on the ATP Finals, posting a 1-2 report within the spherical robin and ending third within the inexperienced group.
His lone victory got here in his second match, when he scored his first win over Rafael Nadal in straight units. Auger-Aliassime was overwhelmed in his opening match by the eventual runner-up Casper Ruud.
Hopes of a semifinal look for the Canadian got here all the way down to the ultimate spherical robin match with Taylor Fritz, however Auger-Aliassime fell in three units and was eradicated.
Regardless of skipping the ATP Finals with an damage, Carlos Alcaraz was nonetheless in a position to end the season because the year-end No. 1 participant after each Nadal and Stefanos Tsitsipas have been eradicated within the group stage.
You’ll be able to observe the Canadians in motion each week here.
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