Davis Cup: Heartbreak for Great Britain as Dan Evans loses to Denis Shapovalov to end hopes of making finals in Malaga
Published 15/09/2024 at 15:32 GMT+1
Great Britain will not be appearing at the Davis Cup finals in Malaga next month after Dan Evans lost to Canada's Denis Shapovalov. Britain needed a clean sweep of wins to advance in the tournament but their hopes were ended in the first match despite having home advantage at a lively AO Arena, Manchester. It renders Jack Draper's match against Felix Auger-Aliassime later on Sunday a dead rubber.
Alcaraz and his team-mates’ comical search for meaning of Davis Cup
Video credit: SNTV
Great Britain’s hopes of making the Davis Cup finals in Malaga in November are over after Dan Evans lost to Canada’s Denis Shapovalov 6-0 7-5.
Leon Smith’s team knew they needed a clean sweep of wins against their Canadian opponents to keep alive their hopes of reaching the Final 8 next month.
The pressure was on Britain following defeat to table toppers Argentina on Friday, while Canada required just one victory to make sure of their place in Spain.
Tasked with leading the charge in his 28th Davis Cup tie, Evans found himself under immediate pressure after losing his first service game, a sluggish start marked by a double fault.
With two straightforward holds on either side of the break, world No. 100 Shapovalov was taking command early on, working to silence the Manchester crowd.
GB's uphill battle became even steeper as the aggressive Shapovalov secured a double-break and compounded Evans’ woes with a hold to love.
Shapovalov completed the bagel in under 30 minutes as Canada closed in on qualification.
A rejuvenated Evans began his fightback with back-to-back holds to love, but his struggle to handle Shapovalov’s big serves prevented the Briton from making significant headway.
A crucial opportunity came in the ninth game when Evans earned two break points, but the Canadian displayed nerves of steel to fend off the challenge.
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Frustration got the better of Evans as he threw his racquet after a wayward shot, and a difficult day was complete when Shapovalov secured a decisive break in the final game of the second set.
It renders Jack Draper's match against Felix Auger-Aliassime later on Sunday a dead rubber. Evans is expected to return to the court when he partners Neal Skupski to face Auger-Alissime and Shapovalov in a concluding doubles match.
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