Vernon’s Vasek Pospisil is on to the Davis Cup semifinals.
In Malaga, Spain, Pospisil and Team Canada teammate Denis Shapovalov completed a thrilling comeback win in the decisive doubles match against the German duo Tim Puetz and Kevin Krawietz.
The Canadians, who came into the Davis Cup as a wildcard, found themselves in early trouble after dropping the first set 6-2. But they quickly recovered in the second set, turning the tide by winning three consecutive games in the set to take a 4-1 lead. The Canadian pair took advantage of the momentum swing and went on to win the match 2-6, 6-3, 6-3.
Pospisil came up clutch late in the second set, facing a break point on his serve. Pospisil hit back-to-back aces and an unreturned serve to escape the jam. It was the last break point Canada faced in the match.
"Bit of magic in Malaga" 🪄
— Davis Cup (@DavisCup) November 24, 2022
The Canadians are fired up right now 💪#DavisCup #byRakuten #Final8 | @TennisCanada pic.twitter.com/SPzPt7ZD8f
In the final set, the Canadians broke to love for a 2-1 lead, and they never looked back. For good measure, they tacked on another break point to complete the comeback.
“Winning is always an incredible feeling. Today was a perfect example of Davis Cup at its finest: it was a very tough task for us and we were tested in many ways,” said Team Canada captain Frank Dancevic. “However, these guys, they have great energy. When they find the energy in the matches, I feel so confident they can beat any team in the world. It was amazing to watch. They showed so much heart going in the match, and once they found the rhythm, they played lights out and (really) took control of the match.”
The doubles win was only possible after Felix Auger-Aliassime kept Canada alive in the second singles match.
After Shapovalov lost the first singles match to Jan-Lennard Struff, Montreal’s Auger-Aliassime, ranked No. 6 in the world, levelled the tie by winning the second match 7-6 (1), 6-4 over Germany’s Oscar Otte. Auger-Aliassime’s serving game was on fire, as he notched 15 aces compared to five for Otte. His strong forehand was another big advantage — 21 winners to Otte’s seven. Auger-Aliassime saw little pressure throughout the match, facing just one break point which he handled easily en route to the fourth Davis Cup singles victory of his career.
Canada’s next challenge comes on Saturday when they face Italy in the semifinals. The tie will be played at 7 a.m. EST.
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