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Auger-Aliassime, Shapovalov win 1st Davis Cup for Canada, downing Australia

Malaga, Spain, Nov 27 (EFE).- Canada won its first-ever Davis Cup at the Jose Maria Martin Carpena Sports Palace in Malaga, Spain, on Sunday, easily blowing past Australia in two elimination singles finals matches with victories by Denis Shapovalov and Felix Auger-Aliassime, both wins coming in straight sets.

It was Canada’s first-ever title in the international tennis competition that began in 1900.

The 23-year-old Shapovalov, ranked No. 18 in the world, beat Thanasi Kokkinakis 6-2, 6-4 and then Auger-Aliassime, 22 and ranked No. 6, beat Alex de Minaur 6-3, 6-4.

Auger-Aliassime, who had won three other titles in October, defeated Germany’s Oscar Otte in the quarterfinals and Italy’s Lorenzo Musetti in the semifinals, while Shapovalov had lost to Germany’s Jan-Lennard Struff in the singles quarters, but won in doubles to advance, and also to Italy’s Lorenzo Sonego in the singles semis, but again Canada won in the doubles to move to the finals.

The doubles final wasn’t played because Canada had already clinched the victory.

“The emotions are tough to describe,” Auger-Aliassime said after clinching the title for Canada.

“Denis and I grew up together, dreaming of these types of stages, dreaming of winning the Davis Cup,” he noted, adding “It’s a great moment for myself and for the country.”

As the premier international team event in men’s tennis, the annual Davis Cup competition is organized and run by the International Tennis Federation (ITF) and Kosmos Holding and features knock-out, or elimination, matches between teams from assorted countries.

Organizers call it the “World Cup of Tennis” and the winners are referred to as the World Champion team.

With the win, Canada becomes the 16th nation to win the Davis Cup, a list headed by the United States with 32 titles, followed by Australia with 28.

EFE nam/bp

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