Vasek Pospisil is one win away from being crowned a Davis Cup champion.
The professional tennis player from Vernon advanced to the finals of the competition after a 7-6, 7-5 doubles win against Team Italy Saturday, Nov. 26.
Pospisil was joined on the court by fellow Canadian Felix Auger-Aliassime, squaring off against Italy’s Matteo Berrettini and Fabio Fognini.
According to Tennis Canada, Pospisil and Auger-Aliassime had to overcome early breaks in both sets before coming alive at the end of each set to secure the win.
There was a feeling of deja-vu when the Canadians were broken early in the opening set, but unlike the quarterfinals they quickly turned it around with Auger-Aliassime teeing off on a Berrettini serve to even the set at three all.
Another tiebreak was needed to decide the opening set, and the Canadians jumped out to a 2-0 lead when Berrettini netted a forehand. The duo did not drop a point on serve and added another mini-break before Auger-Aliassime closed it out with an ace.
The Italians got off to a 2-0 lead in the second set but handed the break right back as Fognini double faulted twice.
Control shifted to the Canadians as the set went on. The Canadians got a love-40 opening at 5-5 and on the third break point, the two Italians misread an Auger-Aliassime return which dropped in for the break.
Serving for the match, Auger-Aliassime went down 15-40, but the Canadians made one final push, firing off three un-returned serves to set up match point, which they made good on to punch their ticket to the final.
Team Canada will look to claim their first Davis Cup title in the final against Australia on Sunday, Nov. 27. It’s the third time Team Canada has reached the Davis Cup finals; they lost to Spain in the 2019 finals and to the United States way back in the 1913 finals.
Denis Shapovalov lost the opening singles match, but Auger-Aliassime kept Canada alive by winning the second singles match, shooting 12 aces and dropping just three points on his first serve.
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