Canadian Felix Auger-Aliassime was unplayable as he beat Australia’s Alex de Minaur 6-3 6-4 to present Canada an unstoppable 2-0 lead in Malaga, Spain, on Sunday to pocket their first-ever Davis Cup title.
The world No. 6 confirmed his prodigious expertise as soon as once more as he produced 16 winners in comparison with 5 from his opponent and basked within the cheers of his compatriots as he struck a deadly forehand to clinch the title.
“The emotions are tough to describe. All of us here – we’ve dreamt of this moment,” Auger-Aliassime mentioned in a televised interview. “It’s really a dream come true.”
He needed to fend off three break factors early within the first set however discovered his rhythm within the eighth recreation, the place he broke De Minaur with a mighty overhead smash, earlier than sealing the ultimate recreation with an ace.
Auger-Aliassime retained his poise within the second set as he defended two break factors within the second recreation and he pumped his fist when he broke the Australian with a phenomenal forehand winner within the third.
He fought again from 0-40 to carry serve within the sixth recreation and flopped to the bottom as his teammates mobbed him after he clinched the trophy for the 2019 runners-up.
“We all developed as players individually, we got better and better over the years,” mentioned Auger-Aliassime, who a day earlier saved Canadian hopes alive when he beat Italian Lorenzo Musetti earlier than becoming a member of Vasek Pospisil in a straight-sets doubles win over Matteo Berrettini and Fabio Fognini.
“We’re more ready for these types of moments but it’s never easy to pull through.”
Earlier, Canada’s Denis Shapovalov, who fell brief in a bodily punishing three-setter towards Lorenzo Sonego within the semifinal, wasted little time establishing a 4-0 lead within the opening set earlier than Thanasi Kokkinakis received on the board.
Having wrapped up the set comfortably to place Canada on the entrance foot, Shapovalov broke within the third recreation of the second set and didn’t look again as he closed out victory in 89 minutes.
