Canada failed to capture its first-ever Davis Cup trophy. Unfortunately for all the tennis fans back home, Denis Shapovalov and Félix Auger-Aliassime couldn’t defeat Rafael Nadal and the hosts of the tournament Spain.
It could have been a historic run for the Canadians, who never before reached the finals, but performed excellently over the past few days. The new format of the tournament suited well for the two youngsters. However, Nadal and Roberto Bautista Agut were too much. Also, having in mind that the competition took place at Caja Majica Arena in Madrid, the capital of Spain, winning this contest was almost impossible.
Nadal defeated Shapovalov in the final match with 2-0, 6-3, 7-6(7). The event lasted for 2 hours and 30 minutes, with Shapovalov even missing a set point in the tiebreak of the latter sequence.
Nadal’s mental strength and his experience were something Shapovalov has yet to develop and gain. The 15th player of the world was disappointed after the match but stated that he enjoyed the ride in Madrid.
“I feel like we’ve really come really far as a team, as a nation,” Shapovalov said. “And yeah, definitely we’re super-proud. Obviously, it sucks, losing in the finals. But I’m super-proud of everyone sitting here, super proud of the people in the background. We’ve put in 120 percent every single day. It’s amazing how far we’ve been able to come.”
The first rubber was played between Bautista Agut and Auger-Aliassime. The Spaniard won that one with 2-0, 7-6 (3) 6-3. It was a game in which the Canadian made numerous mistakes, which eventually cost him that bout.
Believe it or not, the 19-year old had 45 unforced errors, and whether it was that because of the pressure or something else, he couldn’t perform the way he did throughout the tournament. His first serve was just 53%, and with that kind of stats, a lot weaker players than the ninth-placed player in the world couldn’t’ be beaten.
Bautista Agut suffered a family tragedy earlier last week, when his father passed away. Instead of joining his family, he decided to stay with the team and give everything he has in order to bring this trophy to the nation. At the moment, Spain is celebrating his name, and praising the sacrifice of the 29-year old.
“For me, what he did was something almost inhuman. I don’t know how to explain it. It will be an example for the rest of my life….It was something incredible,” Rafa Nadal explained to the journalists.
After 2013 when Canada lost Davis Cup semifinals to Serbia in Belgrade, this was the first campaign in which they had a chance to take the title. However, the future looks bright, as two of the top talents showed incredible potential against the best nations in the world.
To reach the finals, Canada had to defeat the United States and Italy in the group stage. After that, they eliminated Australia in the quarterfinals before beating Russia in the semis.
Tennis season is officially over, and the players will have a short period during which they can rest. The first major tournament comes in January – Australian Open.
