Canada makes the ATP Cup escape Spain again

Spain once again stayed one step away from winning the ATP Cup as it had happened in 2020, when Novak Djokovic’s Serbia beat a National Team that on that occasion did have Rafa Nadal. Canada avenged their defeat to the Navy in the 2019 Davis Cup thanks to sensational performances from Denis Shapovalov and Felix Auger-Aliassime, who beat Pablo Carreño (6-4 and 6-3) and Roberto Bautista (7-6 (3) and 6-3) fairly and with superiority, respectively. You cannot put a single but to the triumph of the North American team, and it would not be fair to point out that they took advantage of Nadal’s absence, because the Spanish couple had reached the final undefeated and, especially in the case of the Castellón, with magnificent tennis .

“As a former Spanish player and as a captain, I can only promise two things, that we will continue fighting until the end and that we all have a COVID passport,” joked the captain, Tomás Carbonell. “These guys are super players. This court (Ken Rosewall Arena) is one of my favorites, where I have played my best tennis. I hope I can play more years and win, “said Bautista. “We have a lot of respect for you, you are very good players and athletes, great athletes and people that I have noticed many times in the past,” said Auger-Aliassime.

Shapovalov (22 years old), an electric and forceful tennis player, had been good at Gijón (4-2 in the face to face now), but he got his revenge with a shocking victory for the way he risked practically every one of his 27 winners. And that he had to save five break points in the first game of the match, which lasted almost 14 minutes, but from there he came to the top without making too many mistakes despite his brave way of competing. Almost everything went well for the Canadian and Carreño, without playing bad at all, lost the first set by conceding a first break for 6-4. The second round got uphill for the Spaniard soon. Shapovalov broke for 3-1 and although Carreño reacted to serve with 3-4 and try to react, he lost his service again and in the last game of the match he looked for the break without luck. because Denis, in a state of grace, took off a right hand from Pablo and put him inside with a defensive balloon that the Asturian could not counteract.

Baptist, before a black beast

Later, Bautista had the ballot to try to equalize the tie against a rival against whom he had lost the face to face (1-2). A 21-year-old boy with a better ranking than him (11th) who, after offering some doubts about his progression, has shown that he is prepared to be one of the best in the world, among other things, because he has a tremendous drive. He just needs a little more patience to be a candidate to win those titles that resist him (0-8 in finals). At the moment, he already has one for teams and as a player-captain.

Bautista behaved as he had been doing throughout the tournament, but this time he ran into an incisive rival, who looked for the game without doubts from the beginning and who had the mettle and personality to save up to 10 break points. In fact, Rober was very close to 5-3 in the first set. The truth is that in the second he barely had any options against an exalted version of Auger-Aliassime. Canada, who had a foot and a half out in the group stage and were saved by Great Britain’s victory over the United States, shows that he has a team for many years and that the fact that the Davis Junior won with these same players was not a coincidence.

ATP Cup results.