Team Canada presented by IGA are on the brink of returning to the Davis Cup Final 8 after winning both singles matches on Friday over France in their Davis Cup Qualifiers Second Round tie in Quebec City. The hosts need just one more point after both Liam Draxl and Félix Auger-Aliassime gave Canada a commanding 2-0 lead with victories on the opening day.
Draxl delivered the best performance of his career on Friday to give Team Canada the 1-0 lead. He upset French No. 1 Arthur Rinderknech in straight sets to score the first point for the hosts.
In his first-ever match against an opponent ranked inside the Top 50 of the ATP rankings, Draxl played fearless tennis and took advantage of some shaky play from the world No. 32. The Canadian No. 2 this week got off to a fast start and hung on for a 6-2, 7-5 win, giving Canada the lead.
As can so often be the case in Davis Cup, rankings went out the window in this one. Draxl was near-perfect in this one, putting 78 per cent of his first serves in play and winning 73 per cent of those points. He broke Rinderknech three times and saved all three break points he faced.
At the start of the match, anyone watching trying to guess which player ranked outside the Top 200 and which was just seeded at the US Open likely would have gotten it wrong. In the opening game, Rinderknech was struggling to find the court and gifted Draxl the break with an error-filled service game. The Canadian had to battle to consolidate, needing to save a break point in his opening service game but found a way through for a quick 2-0 lead.
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Rinderknech’s shaky play continued through the opening set as he let a 40-love lead evaporate in his next service game. A netted volley from the Frenchman gave Draxl a chance for a double break and the Canadian showed him how it's done at the net, putting his shot away to go up 3-0.
Closing out the set proved a bit tricky for the Newmarket, ON-native. He had five set points on Rinderknech’s serve in the seventh game but could not convert any of them. He then led 40-15 on his own delivery at 5-2 only to be pushed to deuce. But he was not about to let the set slip away. Draxl delivered back-to-back big serves, finally closing it out on his eighth set point with an ace.
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The Frenchman reset in the second, cutting down on the errors and using his groundstrokes to keep Draxl pinned back on the baseline. The Canadian had been highly effective at the net in the opening frame but with that tactic neutralized, the match turned into a baseline grind.
At 2-1, Rinderknech had a golden opportunity to break when he led 40-AD on the Canadian’s serve and had a short backhand with Draxl stranded at the net. However, he drove it into the net and the Canadian went on to hold. Draxl had his first chance to break in the seventh game but the Frenchman erased it with a big serve.
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Draxl appeared to be in trouble late in the second when he let a 40-love lead slip away on his serve trying to stay in it at 4-5. A return winner from Rinderknech then gave the Frenchman a set point but the Canadian found another gear. He saved the break point with an ace and followed it up with a forehand winner and another big serve to escape the threat.
In the following game, Draxl curled a forehand winner past Rinderknech at the net to create a double break point opening. A wild rally ensued that included shots that clipped lines and a near-perfect lob from the Canadian which set up his drop volley winner to go up 6-5. Serving for the biggest win of his career, Draxl brought the heat, racing ahead 40-love a finishing it off with another big serve.
Welcome Home, Felix
Félix Auger-Aliassime made his long-awaited Davis Cup home debut on Friday and the Canadian No. 1 delivered for his country, grinding out Quentin Halys in three sets to put Canada in command of the tie.
Despite making his debut for Team Canada in 2019, Auger-Aliassime had never played a match in Davis Cup competition on home soil in his career. His first opportunity ended up coming in the city where he was raised and the 26-year-old made it count, fighting past the French No. 2 7-6(5), 4-6, 6-3 to put his nation up 2-0.
The serve was solid for Auger-Aliassime, as he had a dozen aces, won 77 per cent of his first-serve points, and only allowed Halys one break point in the match, although the Frenchman did convert it.
Auger-Aliassime was not at his sharpest in the opening set, but he was getting the job done. But Halys was also serving well, not giving the Canadian many opportunities. There was just one break point in the opening set, with the Frenchman serving at 4-4, but Auger-Aliassime sent his return wide.
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In the tiebreak, a shanked forehand from the world No. 5 gave Halys a quick 2-0 lead, but the Frenchman sent a half-volley long on his next service point to level the breaker at two. The next seven points went to the server until Auger-Aliassime had a look at set point on his opponent’s delivery at 5-6. Halys proceeded to send a forehand long to give the Canadian the opening set.
Another break point came and went for Auger-Aliassime early in the second set and this time, he paid the price for failing to convert. In the third game, Halys laced a forehand passing shot down the line to create his first break-point chance of the day. His backhand on the ensuing point hit the tape but somehow trickled over to give the Frenchman a break.
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That was enough for Halys, who clung to his serve the rest of the way. He did find himself staring down a break point when serving for the set but the Frenchman saved it, eventually holding to force a decider.
After serving so well up to that point in the match, Halys’ level unexpectedly dropped early in the third set. At 1-2, 15-30, the Frenchman hit back-to-back double faults to surrender his serve for the first time in match, gifting the advantage to Auger-Aliassime.
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Finally with a break lead, the Canadian No. 1 leaned on the gas. He never gave the Frenchman a chance to get back in the set and while he missed a match point on Halys’ serve in the eighth game, he slammed the door shut on his first match point on his own delivery.
Canada need just one win on Saturday to qualify for the Davis Cup Final 8. Their first chance will come in doubles, where Auger-Aliassime is expected to partner with Davis Cup debutant Duncan Chan. If required, Auger-Aliassime will then likely play singles against Arthur Rinderknech in the No. 1 singles. Liam Draxl is currently lined up to play Halys in the final singles match if necessary. Nominations can change prior to the start of play.
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Feature Photo: Mathieu Belanger
