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Whereas a lot of the eye of Canadian tennis followers was on Workforce Canada introduced by Sobeys’ title defence in Malaga final week, one other Canadian was in search of a second massive title of his personal.
And he got here agonizingly near bringing gold again to Canada.
Right here’s what that you must know.
Underneath the Radar: Shaw’s Silver Lining
Rob Shaw introduced residence Canada’s lone medal in Wheelchair Tennis on the 2023 Parapan Am Video games in Santiago, Chile, taking the silver medal within the quad singles.
Six Canadians have been competing in Santiago, Chile, however solely Shaw made it to the medal rounds. Within the gold medal match, he fell in a hard-fought, two-hour, 19-minute battle with native favorite Francisco Cayulef. It’s Shaw’s second Parapan Am medal, having gained gold in singles in 2019.
“I left all of it on the market, I’m tremendous proud with what I put on the market,” mentioned Shaw after the match. “I assumed it was good high quality tennis, I assumed it was entertaining. On the finish of the day as an athlete, that’s all I can hope for.”
Within the ultimate, Shaw needed to contend not simply together with his opponent, however with the partisan Chilean crowd. Regardless that the followers have been totally on Cayulef’s facet, Shaw admitted that he simply loved enjoying in entrance of a giant crowd, which is uncommon for wheelchair athletes. He additionally pointed to the Canadians within the followers in attendance as serving to to encourage him.
Learn additionally: Get Nutrition Inspiration from Members of Team Canada Presented by Sobeys
Shaw mounted a late comeback within the second set to push the match to a decider, however his Chilean had just a bit bit an excessive amount of within the third set, hanging on for a good 6-3, 5-7, 6-4 win.
“It was good tennis. I don’t depart these matches feeling unhappy or upset. I wished to win, however I obtained beat. I didn’t play that badly. I can reside with that. It was shut, a few factors on the market. Tennis is merciless that approach. A few traces, a few bounces.”
Right here is the complete record of Canada outcomes from Santiago:
- Males’s Singles
- Thomas Venos: Second Spherical
- Barry Henderson: First Spherical
- Ladies’s Singles
- Natalia Lanucha: Second Spherical
- Anne-Marie Dolinar: First Spherical
- Quad Singles:
- Rob Shaw: Silver Medal
- Mitch McIntyre: Quarter-Finals
- Males’s Doubles:
- Henderson/Venos: Quarter-Finals
- Ladies’s Doubles:
- Dolinar/Lanucha: Quarter-Finals
- Quad Doubles:
- McIntyre/Shaw: Quarter-Finals
Canada did have one athlete end with prime honours within the tennis world final week, that being Layne Sleeth who gained the doubles title on the ITF W40 occasion in Guadalajara with American Haley Giavara.
Sleeth and Giavara didn’t drop a set on their approach to the title, beating the second-seeded crew within the ultimate. It’s the first skilled doubles title of Sleeth’s profession and her first ITF title of any form since 2019.
In Case You Missed It: Canada Slips, Sinner Shines
A 12 months in the past, Canada completed the 12 months with a bang by securing their first Davis Cup title. Sadly, they have been unable to double-dip in Malaga because the champions noticed their reign came to an end in the quarter-finals of the 2023 Davis Cup Final 8 by the hands of Finland.
Workforce Canada was banged up and, regardless of a spectacular performance from Milos Raonic, in the end didn’t have sufficient to make one other run in Southern Spain. Gabriel Diallo misplaced the second singles match and Canada’s destiny was sealed when Alexis Galarneau and Vasek Pospisil dropped the deciding doubles match.
Their highway to recapturing the trophy in 2024 will begin on residence soil when Canada hosts South Korea at a to-be-determined venue the primary weekend of February within the qualifying spherical.
Italy left Malaga with the trophy after a heroic efficiency from National Bank Open champion Jannik Sinner.
The world No. 4 gained all 5 of his matches, three in singles and two in doubles, accounting for 5 of Italy’s six factors together with the decisive match to clinch the title over Alex de Minaur of Australia within the ultimate.
Sinner’s masterpiece got here within the semifinals, when he defeated world No. 1 Novak Djokovic twice in a day, together with a singles win from 4-5, love-40 down within the third set, to advance to the ultimate.
It’s Italy’s second title on the Davis Cup and first since 1976.
What to Watch: Ending with the Future
Just one occasion stays on the ATP calendar in 2023. That’s the Subsequent Gen ATP Finals which occur this week in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
19-year-old Arthur Fils, ranked 36th on the planet, is the highest seed on the occasion which options eight gamers 21 or youthful. The highest 4 gamers beneath the age of 21 on tour (Carlos Alcaraz, Holger Rune, Ben Shelton, and Lorenzo Musetti) all took a go on the occasion.
The Subsequent Gen ATP Finals follows the identical format because the ATP Finals, with a Group Stage adopted by a knockout spherical for the highest two gamers in every group.
You’ll be able to comply with the Canadians in motion each week here.
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