By Alberto Amalfi | Saturday, November 23, 2019
Vasek Pospisil and Denis Shapovalov fought off Karen Khachanov and Andrey Rublev 6-3, 3-6, 7-6 (5) lifting Canada into the Davis Cup final with a gripping 2-1 semifinal win over Russia.
Photo credit: Davis Cup Final by Rakuten Facebook
In a tense tug-of-war between two-man teams, Vasek Pospisil and Denis Shapovalov carried Canada to its first Davis Cup final.
Down 2-4 in the decisive tie break, the tenacious pair won five of the final six points fighting off Karen Khachanov and Andrey Rublev 6-3, 3-6, 7-6(5) clinching Canada's first trip to the Davis Cup final with a 2-1 win over Russia.
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The historic victory set off an eruption of emotion in Canadian players and fans inside Madrid's La Caja Magica as the players spilled onto the court swarming Pospisil and Shapovalov.
In its 90th year of Davis Cup competition, Canada played its way into a first final in dramatic fashion with a dynamic comeback victory.
Rublev opened this semifinal continuing his inspired undefeated singles run with a 6-4, 6-4 sweep of Pospisil.
The big-hitting Russian came out roaring firing through eight straight points in breaking to open then consolidating for 2-0. Rublev denied three break points holding for 5-3 and converted his third set point snatching a one-set lead.
In the second set, Pospisil applied his all-court skills scoring his lone break to level after six games.
The 23rd-ranked Rublev responded reeling off eight of the next 10 points for a 5-3 lead. Rublev served out the match at love staking Russia to a 1-0 lead and avenging his 7-6(5), 6-4 loss to Pospisil in Miami last year.
The Russians were one point away from their first Davis Cup final since 2007.
The 20-year-old Shapovalov, who is of Russian descent and speaks the language, was down 1-4 to Khachanov when he flipped the script charging through five straight games to seize the first set.
A tight second set stayed on serve until the final game when the 17th-ranked Russian converted his second break point to force a final set.
The 15th-ranked Shapovalov converted the first break point of the set for 4-3 then saved a break point to back up the break. A steely Shapovalov staved off three straight break points fighting back from a love-40 deficit to serve out a pressure-packed test and force the decisive doubles.