Shapovalov proud of Canada's run to
final
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[November 25, 2019]
By Martyn Herman
MADRID (Reuters) - Denis Shapovalov
said he was proud to have played in Canada's first Davis Cup final
although it "sucked" to lose after he succumbed to Rafael Nadal in
Madrid's Magic Box on Sunday.
The 20-year-old was handed mission impossible after team mate Felix
Auger-Aliassime was beaten by Roberto Bautista Agut and although he
pushed the 19-time Grand Slam champion hard, he went down 6-3 7-6(7)
as Spain sealed their sixth title.
Shapovalov was an ever-present throughout the week, winning three of
his five singles matches and pairing up with Vasek Pospisil to edge
a deciding doubles rubber in a thriller against Russia in Saturday's
semi-finals.
"I feel like we've really come really far as a team, as a nation.
Definitely we're super proud," stylish left-hander Shapovalov, who
has risen to 15th in the rankings after a late-season surge, told
reporters.
"Obviously it sucks, sucks losing in the finals. But I'm super proud
of everyone, everyone sitting here, super proud of the people in the
background.
"We've put in 120 percent every single day. So it's amazing how far
we've been able to come."
Shapovalov played outstandingly well in the second set as world
number one Nadal finally appeared to be tiring after a marathon
shift this week but he could not take the set point that arrived in
the tiebreak.
"I felt like I was the better player most of the games. We had a lot
of long games," he said.
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Canada's Felix Auger-Aliassime, Denis Shapovalov and captain Frank
Dancevic after losing the Davis Cup final REUTERS/Sergio Perez
Shapovalov and Pospisil had effectively been a "two man team" until
Canadian captain Frank Dancevic elected to play 19-year-old Felix
Auger-Aliassime on Sunday instead of 150th-ranked Pospisil who had
won three of his four singles matches.
It was a gamble that did not pay off as Auger-Aliassime, who has
been sidelined by an ankle injury, went down 7-6(3) 6-2.
"It was my decision to make a substitution. But I'd rather not go
into details with it," Dancevic said. "It was my call in the end.
I'll just leave it at that."
Pospisil would likely have played the doubles rubber but with Spain
already 2-0 up it was not to be.
"I found out late last night (that I wasn't playing singles)," he
said. "Of course it's tough. Everybody wants to play. It was double
tough obviously that we lost it today.
"At the end of the day, it's a team effort, it's a team decision.
You just have to be ready to do your part."
(Reporting by Martyn Herman; Editing by Christian Radnedge)
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