Grief-stricken by the death of his father, Roberto Bautista Agut showed his competitive character honoring his dad—and inspiring Spain to its sixth Davis Cup championship.
Playing his first match since the death of his dad, Joaquin, on Thursday, Bautista Agut defeated Felix Auger-Aliassime 7-6(3), 6-3 staking Spain to a 1-0 lead over Canada in the Davis Cup Final at Madrid's La Caja Magica.
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World No. 1 Rafael Nadal followed fighting off Denis Shapovalov 6-3, 7-6(7) to clinch the Cup and a bittersweet celebration for the Spanish side.
Afterward, Nadal credited Bautista Agut, who has lost both of his parents in the last 18 months, for inspiring the team.
"What Roberto did today is something out of this planet," Nadal said. "Roberto has been an inspiration to all of us.
"Whatever happens this cannot be a climax for someone who has lost his father this week."
It has been a life-changing season for Bautista Agut, who scored a pair of wins over Novak Djokovic, contested his first Grand Slam quarterfinal at the Australian Open followed by his first major semifinal at Wimbledon, reached a career-high rank of No. 9 earlier this month and is set to wed long-time girlfriend, Ana Bodi Tortosa, next Saturday.
Photo credit: AFP