Virtually a 12 months faraway from successful all of it, Crew Canada offered by Sobeys is again collectively and seeking to run it again on the Davis Cup.
The Canadians are competing within the group stage of the Davis Cup Finals in Bologna, Italy this week, seeking to advance to November’s knockout stage in Malaga, Spain, the positioning of their 2022 victory.
This week’s occasion is the primary time the Canadian squad are competing collectively since successful the title final November, because the nation had a bye within the qualifying stage which happened earlier this 12 months.
“It feels nice,” stated captain Frank Dancevic on the staff’s pre-event press convention on Monday. “You understand, it’s been nearly a 12 months because the championship and it’s nice to be again, the fellows again collectively. We’ve been right here early coaching, preparing for the occasion. So we’re excited to get began once more.”
Reunited and it feels so good
4 of the 5 members of the championship-winning staff from final 12 months are again to kick off the title defence: Denis Shapovalov, Vasek Pospisil, Gabriel Diallo, and Alexis Galarneau. They’re joined by newcomer Kelsey Stevenson.
For Shapovalov, who watched some clips of the 2022 run proper earlier than the staff press convention, it’s “bringing again of numerous good emotions, that I’m again a part of the staff and it was only a tremendous particular feeling final 12 months. We did it for Canada.”
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Pospisil has been on the Canadian staff longer than any taking part in member of the squad, so for him the victory hit somewhat in another way.
“It was clearly an unimaginable accomplishment. It was an enormous aid as a result of I really feel like we had been sort of constructing and getting nearer and nearer to attending to the championship again in 2013. We made the semi-finals and the semi-finals was not adequate. It was somewhat little bit of a aid [when Canada won the title] simply because I’m 33 and I do know I don’t have 10 years forward of me within the sport. Undoubtedly the highest of my profession.”
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Run it again
However sufficient nostalgia, now it’s time to concentrate on the title defence.
If the previous world No. 10 Shapovalov feels any stress because the defending champion, he didn’t present it. In truth, he expressed the other, saying “I really feel like this 12 months, it’s sort of like nothing to lose. We have now no chip on our shoulder and we will simply go on the market and luxuriate in ourselves.”
Pospisil expressed comparable emotions about being again along with his teammates.
“Enjoying to your nation is a completely totally different sort of feeling than taking part in for your self. I’ve numerous enjoyable. It’s a extremely enjoyable week,” stated Pospisil. “It’s the very best of each worlds within the sense the place, one it simply means much more to play to your nation and it’s the most important occasion that we now have in tennis. After which secondly, it additionally occurs to be a pleasant little break free from the extreme particular person competitors that we’re taking part in all 12 months. So it’s simply good to return and be in a locker room and be round good folks within the staff and you realize, having numerous enjoyable.”
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“We’re very relaxed. You understand how troublesome it’s to win the Davis Cup and we now have to beat many obstacles to win it and the celebs should align in a manner” stated Dancevic.
However is the captain involved? No in any respect.
“I do know one factor: we’re a terrific staff. We at all times put up a terrific struggle in opposition to any staff we’re taking part in and we at all times put ourselves within the place to win matches and to win ties it doesn’t matter what the rating is. This has been our mentality previously. And that is what we’re doing now. We’re simply targeted on getting the fellows prepared.”
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Canada opens their title defence on Wednesday in opposition to Italy, the hosts for Group A. They play Sweden on Thursday and end in opposition to Chile on Saturday. The highest two groups within the group advance to the quarter-finals in November.
