Canada in ecstasy: ‘It will be the first in a series’

Canada wins the 2022 ATP Cup. Felix Auger-Aliassime finally became a prophet on home soil and, with a victory over Roberto Bautista Agut, gave his team the first victory in history in a team event. Spain, who are already second in the 2020 ATP Cup, must concede 2-0.

“Ten days ago, I could not have imagined such a conclusion,” the words of the player captain Auger-Aliassime said at the press conference. “Once we arrived, we heard positive news from Denis (Shapovalov, editor) about Covid and that didn’t make things easier. It was a tough start, thanks to the 3-0 defeat in the first game against the USA, but we quickly reversed course. Success with Great Britain has given us a lot. From confidence and getting close to elimination helped us develop the will to fight and the ability to withstand tough times.”

“Canadians? They love tennis and I hope they love it even more starting today. These are tough times, and it’s good to imagine that they can inspire so many people. Staying home in the midst of a pandemic is not a nice thing, we hope to grab a smile from everyone and we can To win this cup again.”

An important victory that bodes well for the future of Canadian tennis. “I like to believe that all of this can be a stepping stone for us,” the No. 10 ranked world number one adds. “Dennis and I played more than the others but winning as a team is good for the group. We’ve known each other for a long time, we won the Davis Cup in 2015 to give something important to our country. We’re pushing each other towards these goals and now it’s good to be able to look back.” Winning a title like the ATP Cup without players like Raonic and Pospisil means a lot. I wish my teammates well for the rest of the season.”

The absolute protagonist is also Denis Shapovalov, who, after the defeat in the first match in the singles, proved that he has a great character. “At the start of the week I didn’t even know if I would be able to play – explained the talented South Bow – but here I am. We put the pieces together at the last minute, always believing we could fight anyone. Felix’s win with Cameron Norrie made everyone aware.” With the means at our disposal and with a bit of luck we’ve been able to push ourselves so far.The work of the team has been fantastic.Canada was born as a winter sports country, but a similar result, combined with what we’ve been able to amass over the years, is inevitable that things will change.If I sleep With the cup? It’s so small, I think we’ll all sleep with it.”

Spain led by Thomas Carbonell is chewed up bitterly, who again after defeat in the final in 2020 against Serbia had to lick her wounds. “We are proud and disappointed at the same time – said the captain – also because we did not lose a singles match in the semi-finals. I have players who only think about winning when they are out on the field, but Canada was better today. That is tennis.”

Number one in Spain echoed in the absence of Rafa Nadal: Roberto Bautista Agut. “I gave everything I had and I can only congratulate Felix. It was extraordinary. Canada is a complete team, whose number one and two have characteristics that enable them to achieve great results in singles and doubles. In these competitions they often reach the bottom.”