MALAGA: Canada’s reign as Davis Cup champions was ended by outsiders Finland which produced a big shock on the opening day of the Final Eight in Malaga on Tuesday.
Roared on by thousands of Finnish fans, Otto Virtanen and Harri Heliovaara beat Vasek Pospisil and Alexis Galarneau 7-5 6-3 to move into the semi-finals for the first time.
Milos Raonic, playing in the event for the first time in five years, had given Canada the perfect start as he dispatched lowly-ranked Finn Patrick Kaukovalta 6-3 7-5 thanks to 18 aces.
Both teams were hit by injuries with Canada’s top-ranked player Felix Auger-Aliassime unable to take to the court while Finland’s number one Emil Ruusuvuori was also ruled out. But 171st-ranked Virtanen stepped up for his country with an impressive defeat of fellow 22-year-old Gabriel Diallo to take the tie into a deciding doubles rubber.
Virtanen again produced some stunning tennis while Canada’s hopes were not helped by an injury to Pospisil who battled on.
A service break in the eighth game of the second set proved enough and Finland sealed the win to set up a clash later this week against the Czech Republic or last year’s runners-up Australia.
The Final Eight continues on Wednesday with the Czechs taking on Australia when organisers, the International Tennis Federation, will hope the atmosphere matches that of the week’s opening battle.
Changes to the format of the historic competition in recent years following a now-defunct alliance with Spanish investment company Kosmos have not been everyone’s cup of tea, with the traditional ‘home and away’ ties largely replaced.
But ITF president David Haggerty said the new format, featuring qualifiers spread across four cities in September to determine the Final Eight in Malaga, is the best formula. Agencies
Also Watch: