Canada is the first team to qualify for the 2019 Davis Cup final after Denis Shapovalov and Vasek Pospisil beat Andrey Rublev and Karen Khachanov in the doubles match in three sets.
Andrey Rublev beat Vasek Pospisil 6-4 6-4 in the opening match of the first semifinal between Russia and Canada at the Caja Magica in Madrid.
Rublev got the first break at love in the opening game and consolidated it with a love hold. The 22-year-old Russian player did not convert three set points from 0-40 on Pospisil’s serve at 5-3.
Rublev broke serve at 30 in the third game and held on his service game to take a 3-1 lead. Pospisil converted his third break-back point chance in the sixth game to draw level to 3-3. Rublev earned the decisive break at 15 in the seventh game to take a 4-3 lead. Pospisil saved a break point in the ninth game, as he was serving to stay in the match at 3-5. Rublev served out the win at love in the 10th game.
Pospisil did not drop a set in singles this week until his defeat against Rublev.
“I started well, broke straight away, and I think that was the key. Pospisil still had some chances on three or four points, but on all of them I played really well and I took the set. In the second set both of us were playing well, but after he broke me at 3-3 I played really well. I returned everything and hit such clean shots. I am happy that I performed so well. I am so happy”, said Rublev.
Denis Shapovalov battled past Karen Khachanov 6-4 4-6 6-4 to draw the tie level to 1-1. Khachanov went up a break to take a 4-1 lead, but Shapovalov came back by winning five consecutive games to win the first set 6-4. Shapovalov broke back in the seventh game when Khachanov sent a backhand long. The Canadian player took a 5-4 lead with a backhand crosscourt winner before closing out the second set in the next game with a service winner.
Shapovalov earned the break in the seventh game of the third set and saved a break point in the next game. The Canadian player saved three break points by winning five consecutive points at 5-4 to seal the third set.
“Obviously it was a little nerve-wracking trying to serve it out, but I kept at it, I played one point at a time and I was able to convert some break points to get the win”,said Shapovalov.
Pospisil and Shapovalov edged past Rublev and Shapovalov 6-3 3-6 7-6 in just over two hours in an epic doubles match after over two hours to reach the Davis Cup final.
Khachanov and Rublev broke serve in the fourth game of the second set to take a 3-1 lead at deuce. Pospisil and Shapovalov broke back at love in the seventh game for 3-4. Khachanov and Rublev broke for the second time in the eighth game and served out on their second set point.
Both teams went on serve setting up a tie-break where Pospisil and Shapovalov came back from 0-3 down to edge Khachanov and Rublev 7-5 on their second match point.
Canada has reached the final of the Davis Cup for the first time in history. The North American team previously achieved their best results in 1913 and 2013.
