Davis Cup: Tennis Canada looks to remain among the world’s elite
Tennis Canada’s men will play to keep their spot in the Davis Cup World Group this weekend in Halifax.
A strong Canadian team of Vasek Pospisil, Frank Dancevic, Adil Shamasdin and Denis Shapovalov will play Chile to determine the nation’s Davis Cup fate in 2017. On Thursday, the official play-off tie breaker draw was released, outlining the Canadian’s path remain in the elite 16-team group for the sixth straight year.
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The competition will begin on Friday at 2:00p.m. ET, with the first singles match between Dancevic and Christian Garin. This will be the first-ever meeting between the two players, who are ranked 236th and 260th respectively in the ATP world ranking.
Frank Dancevic during the first round Rogers Cup in Toronto on July 25, 2016. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/Aaron Vincent Elkaim)
Next up, Vasek Pospisil – who represented Canada at Rio 2016 – will play his first singles match against Nicolas Jerry. Pospisil is a clear favourite, with a world ranking of 123, compared to the twenty-year-old Chilean’s standing at 423.
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Vasek, Canada’s top doubles player ranked no. 12 in the ATP, will team-up with Adil Shamasdin (No. 70) for Saturday’s only tie. The pair will play Hans Podlipnik-Castillo (No. 65) and Jarry (No. 262), as they look to put the nation in a dominant position heading into the final day.
Canada’s Vasek Pospisil celebrates a point against France’s Gael Monfils on July 27, 2016 at the Rogers Cup in Toronto. (Thomas Skrlj/COC)
The tournament will conclude on Sunday with singles players switching opponents for the day’s final matches. Shapovalov, the Wimbledon junior champion will be on reserve for the Canadian team.
