By Ian Chadband
Australia’s dream of regaining the Davis Cup after nearly two decades has been blasted apart by the firepower of Canada’s twin rockets.
First, Thanasi Kokkinakis was put to the sword by Denis Shapovalov before Alex de Minaur got shredded 6-3 6-4 by Felix Auger-Aliassime as Canada lifted the men’s World Cup of tennis for the first time in the competition’s 122-year annals on Sunday.
But Australia’s frustrating 19-year wait for a 29th title goes on after their courageous and unexpected run to the final in Malaga ended with the searing quality of two top-20 stars proving too much for Lleyton Hewitt’s battlers.
Canada’s Denis Shapovalov celebrates after defeating Thanasi Kokkinakis.Credit:
No team without a top-20 player in either singles or doubles has won the title since Argentina in 2016 and that lack of a world-beater was evident on Sunday (Monday AEDT) as not even de Minaur’s admirable fighting spirit could conjure up Australia’s first triumph since 2003.
After a dejected Kokkinakis was left scolding himself for being “pretty much useless” in his 6-2 6-4 shredding by Shapovalov, the never-say-die Australian No.1 de Minaur knew he’d have to probably summon his best-ever performance against Auger-Aliassime.
The big names were out in force at the Palacio de Deportes Jose Maria Martin Carpena at the Spanish resort, with Novak Djokovic bringing his son along to watch and soccer star Gerard Pique, overlord of the new-look Davis Cup, in the VIP tribune.
Alex de Minaur started well, carving out break points in the Canadian’s opening two service games.Credit:
But the real star proved to be the 22-year-old Auger-Aliassime, who looked every inch the future grand slam winner that has long been seen as his tennis destiny.
De Minaur started well, carving out break points in the Canadian’s opening two service games, but once the world No.6 started to find his ominous groove, his languid power began to dictate proceedings and eventually overwhelm the ‘Demon’.
Auger-Aliassime struck cobra-like with two brilliant points to break de Minaur in the eighth game. He put away an overhead after a lung-busting 24-stroke rally to earn break point and then crashed home another volley to seal the crucial game.
After completing the set with an ace, Auger-Aliassime carried on his merry way after saving a couple more break points in his opening service game and then cracking the Australian’s delivery with a thunderous forehand tracer.
Kokkinakis started in spluttering fashion against world No.18 Shapovalov.Credit:
The Spanish-based de Minaur, watched by his family and friends, saw his last chance disappear when Auger-Aliassime repelled three break points when 3-2 up and he then went on to seal victory in one hour 40 minutes as Canada became the 16th country to lift the famous trophy.
Captain Hewitt had warned of the “firepower” the Canadians possessed and hot-shot Shapovalov, who’d had a mixed week in Malaga, earlier chose the perfect time to display his full repertoire of knifing skills against the outclassed Kokkinakis.
Hewitt had faced a tough dilemma over the opening singles spot.
He had to choose between Kokkinakis, who’d lost his semi-final rubber with Croatia’s Borna Coric, or Jordan Thompson, who’d won his quarter-final singles rubber but was needed for the doubles rubber in the final which ended up not being required.
Kokkinakis, who hadn’t played a tour singles match for eight weeks before Malaga, did look rusty against Coric and, again, struggled against world No.18 Shapovalov, who was at his brilliant best, spraying 23 winners in all with rapier-like shots off both wings in his 89-minute lesson.
AAP