One other day of sturdy singles performances by Denis Shapovalov and Félix Auger-Aliassime gave Staff Canada their second victory of the 2024 Davis Cup Finals group stage in Manchester as they maintain an insurmountable 2-0 lead towards Finland.
Shapovalov completed sturdy as he opened the day with a win over Eero Vasa, organising Auger-Aliassime to clinch the tie with a victory towards Otto Virtanen, avenging Canada’s loss to the Finns within the 2023 Davis Cup quarter-finals.
Whereas Canada has not but clinched a spot within the Davis Cup Closing 8 in Malaga, they may accomplish that with out hitting one other ball relying on the outcomes over the following two days earlier than Canada performs Nice Britain on Sunday.
Shapovalov as soon as once more did his job to provide Staff Canada the lead on the 2024 Davis Cup Finals group stage in Manchester, defeating Eero Vasa in straight units on Thursday to attain the opening level of their second round-robin tie towards Finland.
Fast begins in each units put the wind on the Canadian’s again, though Vasa didn’t go away quietly. Shapovalov needed to maintain his by no means to maintain the highly effective Finn at bay and provides Canada the 1-0 lead with a 7-6(2), 6-2, win.
Aside from one recreation early within the first set, it was a superb serving efficiency from Shapovalov, who solely misplaced 10 factors on serve in the entire match, simply two within the second set. The Canadian gained 84 per cent of his first serve factors and solely confronted two break factors within the match. He additionally had 16 winners to his opponent’s seven, whereas Vasa threw in 40 unforced errors.
Shapovalov got here charging out of the gate, successful 12 of the primary 13 factors together with all eight on his serve of which 5 have been unreturned serves. Vasa was struggling to seek out his vary early and a double fault adopted by a forehand nicely lengthy gave away an early break.
Learn additionally: Shapovalov, Auger-Aliassime Energy Canada Previous Argentina at Davis Cup
As soon as the Finn settled in, he was capable of flip the momentum round rapidly. He used his huge first serve to start out holding and Shapovalov performed a sloppy recreation at 3-1, double-faulting to provide the break again. The 2 remained even for the remainder of the set, though Vasa did have to avoid wasting a set level on his serve at 4-5, delivering an ace.
Within the tiebreak, Shapovalov once more raced out to a 3-0 lead, courtesy of consecutive errors by Vasa on his personal serve, and this time he didn’t let his early benefit slip away. He led the breaker wire to wire and took the opening set.
Similar to the primary, Shapovalov got here out flying to start out the second set whereas Vasa regarded sluggish. The Canadian broke to like within the opening recreation, courtesy of a Vasa double fault, a then backed it up with a maintain to like for a 2-0 lead.
Learn additionally: Canadian Doubles Steal the Present in Toronto
There was no letdown within the second set. Shapovalov was in full circulation, forcing Vasa to run laps behind the baseline together with his pinpoint groundstrokes. The serve was untouchable because the Canadian gained his first 12 factors in a row, three love holds, and added a second break for good measure on his method to victory.
Clutch Play from FAA
For the second tie in a row, Félix Auger-Aliassime got here out for the second singles match with an opportunity to seal the win for Staff Canada and as soon as once more made no mistake, beating Otto Virtanen in straight units to clinch the tie.
Auger-Aliassime was capable of deal with the Finn daring hitting and seized his alternatives after they arose, making his transfer halfway by each units for a 6-2, 6-3 win.
Like his countryman, the Canadian delivered a powerful service efficiency, successful 86 per cent of his first serve factors and by no means dropping serve, saving all three break factors he confronted. Virtanen’s huge hitting, which was so lethal within the 2023 quarter-final between the 2 nations, was not as efficient on Thursday as he dedicated 33 unforced errors.
Learn additionally: Auger-Aliassime, Shapovalov Again with a Bang at Davis Cup
In contrast to the earlier tie, the place Auger-Aliassime virtually mirrored Shapovalov’s efficiency on the scoreboard, the Canadian picked up his recreation because the set went alongside. His first have a look at a break got here at 3-2 when Virtanen netted a serve-and-volley try and on the following break level, Auger-Aliassime dominated the rally, finally ending with a forehand winner to grab the initiative.
After battling to consolidate, saving a break level with some big-hitting, the Canadian put the stress on as Virtanen served to remain within the set at 5-2. The Finn cracked, hitting back-to-back double faults handy the set to Canada.
Virtanen had an opportunity to alter the momentum within the opening recreation of the second set when Auger-Aliassime missed a backhand to provide him a pair of break factors. However the Canadian discovered the big-hitting he wanted to bash his means out of the jam.
Learn additionally: Draper Leads Canada’s Opposition in Davis Cup Group Stage – Meet Nice Britain, Argentina, and Finland
That maintain allowed the Montrealer to get again on the entrance foot. After lacking a break level within the fourth recreation, he made his transfer on the identical time he did within the opening set. Because the set went alongside, Virtanen’s recreation was turning into extra erratic and at 3-2, a slew of errors gave Auger-Aliassime a have a look at the break. A double fault from the Finn gifted the initiative to the Canadian No. 1.
That lone break was all Auger-Aliassime wanted to lock up the win and the tie. Shapovalov and Auger-Aliassime are additionally scheduled to play the doubles.
