In the Davis Cup Finals group stage, defending champions Canada displayed their resilience, securing a convincing victory over Sweden for their second consecutive win, despite the absence of key players. In contrast, the United States faced their first defeat in a surprising turn of events.
Canada, already missing notable names like Felix Auger-Aliassime and Milos Raonic, received another setback with Denis Shapovalov sidelined due to a recent knee issue. However, their resolve remained unshaken as Vasek Pospisil set a promising tone by defeating Leo Borg 7-6(5), 5-7, 6-2.
Gabriel Diallo, who played a crucial role in Canada’s remarkable win over Italy earlier, continued to shine as he eased past Elias Ymer with a score of 6-4, 6-3, securing an insurmountable 2-0 lead over Sweden in their Group A tie held in Bologna.
Reflecting on his performance, world number 158 Diallo stated, “I’m happy with the way I competed. Obviously, things are going my way right now, so it’s easy to stay positive. I knew that coming into this week, rankings didn’t really matter in the Davis Cup because there’s something about playing for your country that can inspire players… we try to go on court and compete as hard as we can and find a way to win.”
Meanwhile, Australia propelled their quest for the knockout rounds in Malaga this November, defeating France 2-1 in Group B, Manchester. Max Purcell and Matthew Ebden secured a pivotal doubles rubber victory by defeating Nicolas Mahut and Edouard Roger-Vasselin with a score of 7-5, 6-3.
In Split, Croatia, the Netherlands handed the United States their first defeat in Group D. Botic Van de Zandschulp edged a closely contested opening set against Tommy Paul before dominating the world number 13 with a 7-6(2), 6-2 victory. Tallon Griekspoor demonstrated unwavering determination, defeating Frances Tiafoe 6-3, 6-7(7), 7-6(3).
Notably, this marked Tiafoe’s second consecutive defeat this week following his loss against Croatia’s Borna Gojo.
In Valencia, the Czech Republic built on their Group C victory over Spain by overcoming South Korea. The spotlight now shifts to the potential return of Novak Djokovic for Serbia when they face the hosts on Friday.
World number one Djokovic, fresh from his U.S. Open victory, defended the decision of Spain’s Carlos Alcaraz to skip the group ties, emphasizing the need for player well-being. Djokovic stated, “I always protect the players in these situations. Maybe you guys are upset he’s not here playing for Spain, because he’s 20 and I’m 36 and how he’s tired and I’m not.”
“It’s important to understand he’s got a lot of time ahead of him. You can’t forget that he won the U.S. Open last year and after a few days was playing with heart and passion for his country.”
Djokovic’s remarks underscored the balance between individual and national commitments in the world of professional tennis.
