By Canadian Press

Teens advance Canada to Davis Cup final with 3-2 win over Slovakia

Feb 2, 2019 | 12:00 PM

BRATISLAVA, Slovakia — Teenager Felix Auger-Aliassime lifted Canada into the Davis Cup final, downing Norbert Gombos of Slovakia 6-3, 6-4 on Saturday to win the best-of-five tie 3-2.

It was the second win of the day in three matches for the Canadians, who trailed 2-1 in the tie after losing the doubles match 3-6, 7-5, 6-3 to open Saturday’s action.

Denis Shapovalov of Richmond Hill, Ont., forced the deciding fifth match when he defeated Martin Klizan 7-6 (4), 6-4, giving Montreal’s Auger-Aliassime the chance to close it out.

Shapovalov and Auger-Aliassime played all five of Canada’s matches.

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The 19-year-old Shapovalov is ranked No. 25. Auger-Aliassime, who doesn’t turn 19 until August, is the youngest player in the top 200 at No. 106.

Auger-Aliassime, making his Davis Cup debut during the two-day event at NTC Arena, broke Gombos for a 5-4 lead in the second set and held serve to win it.

A jubilant Canadian team, led by Auger-Aliassime draped in a Canada flag, climbed into the stands after his win to celebrate with fans.

Auger-Aliassime won 82 per cent of his first-service points and converted on 2-of-4 break points against his 255th-ranked opponent. The match lasted one hour 29 minutes.

Canada will play the Davis Cup final in Madrid in November.

Shapovalov needed one hour 45 minutes to dispatch the No. 38 Klizan earlier Saturday, firing six aces and 22 total winners and winning 70 per cent of his first-service games.

Shapovalov gave Canada an early edge in the series on Friday, beating Filip Horansky in the first singles match. But Klizan downed Auger-Aliassime to knot the clay-court series at a win apiece and the Slovakians beat the young Canadians in doubles in the first match Saturday.

The Canadian team, captained by Frank Dancevic, was missing No. 15 Milos Raonic of Thornhill, Ont., and No. 94 Vasek Pospisil of Vancouver, who underwent back surgery last month. Daniel Nestor of Toronto, a doubles star who was a mainstay on the Davis Cup team for years, retired last year. 

It was the first time Slovakia and Canada had met in a Davis Cup since 1997. Slovakia won that meeting 4-1 in Montreal.

The Canadian Press