Historical past didn’t repeat itself for Canada and Germany on the Davis Cup Closing 8 in Malaga.
There have been plenty of parallels between the 2022 and 2024 quarter-finals. Two of the scheduled matchups had been the identical (though one was not performed). Germany received the opening singles match. Jan-Lennard Struff beat Denis Shapovalov in a third-set tiebreak.
However there have been a lot of important variations too. And the factor of the 2022 conflict that Canada needed most, the win, didn’t occur once more.
“That’s the way in which it goes. I believe that general Davis Cup is rarely simple. There may be at all times ups and downs,” stated Crew Canada captain Frank Dancevic in his post-tie press convention.
It’s Canada’s second straight quarter-final exit in Malaga.
The second singles match was a direct rematch of 2022, with Shapovalov and Struff lining up throughout the web as soon as once more. Whereas the order of the units was totally different, the final word end result was the identical: a three-set win for the German.
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“Undoubtedly very disenchanted for the crew. I really feel like I allow them to down, particularly I felt like I had the match in my palms, had plenty of probabilities,” stated Shapovalov. “It simply slipped away from me, so it’s undoubtedly a troublesome one.”
“I believed it was actually good high quality. The blokes performed nice tennis. I imply, Struff, he’s enjoying actually good on these courts together with his serve. It fits his sport, this sort of floor,” analyzed Dancevic. “It comes all the way down to a few factors. General it was an awesome match with Denis and at this degree, when two guys are enjoying rather well, there may be actually little room for error from all sides, and there’s a little little bit of luck that’s factored into that.”
When requested if he thought in any respect in regards to the 2022 quarter-final loss to Struff, who now leads their head-to-head 7-3, Shapovalov admitted, “I didn’t take a look at that match in any respect. It was nearly two years in the past. Issues are a lot totally different now. We’re totally different gamers. Quite a lot of time goes by. I understand how he performs, so it’s not a lot to look from that match.”
Had the Canadian No. 1 pulled out the match with Struff, the doubles would have been a rematch of the decisive rubber in 2022 which pitted Shapovalov and Vasek Pospisil in opposition to Kevin Krawietz and Tim Puetz. That match was received by the Canadians, however they didn’t get an opportunity to repeat the feat in 2024.
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The one match on the order of play that was not a rematch from the 2022 quarter-final was the opener between Gabriel Diallo and Daniel Altmaier. Though it was a distinct matchup from two years in the past, the end result was the identical as Germany took the lead with a win, this time courtesy of Altmaier.
“I wasn’t fairly as possibly unfastened as I needed. It was fairly patchy. Some bits and items, moments the place I used to be enjoying properly; moments the place I used to be slightly bit extra scrappy,” stated Diallo of his efficiency. “However typically that’s the way it goes. Typically the second will get slightly bit to you. As we speak, in some moments, it obtained to me and I didn’t handle to seek out my rhythm and discover my strides to get a win.”
Within the eyes of Dancevic, “it was plenty of stress within the first match with Gab and Altmaier. They each got here out actually tentative. They didn’t snap out of it the entire match, really.”
Even in defeat although, Dancevic wrapped up Canada’s 2024 keep in Malaga by praising his crew and professing optimism for 2025.
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“I’m actually happy with the blokes this week the way in which they fought on the market. That’s all I can ask for as a captain. Subsequent yr we’re going to come back again stronger and attempt to make a run as soon as once more hopefully.”
Canada will play within the qualifying spherical in February. They’ll be taught their opponent and site within the coming weeks. Canada hosted the Republic of Korea in Montreal final February.
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