It was so shut that Staff Canada introduced by IGA might style it.
Issues regarded bleak for the hosts heading into the second day of the Davis Cup Qualifiers 1st Spherical tie after Hungary received each singles matches on Saturday. However Canada was not about to go away quietly.
The Canadians got here out swinging, with Liam Draxl and Vasek Pospisil offering a spark with a complete doubles win. Gabriel Diallo then turned up the warmth with a dominant efficiency in opposition to Hungarian No. 1 Fabian Marozsan to degree the tie and ship it right into a decider.
However Marton Fucsovics had different concepts.
The hulking Hungarian spoiled the get together, denying Canada’s comeback with a straight-set win over Alexis Galarneau to lastly declare the tie for Hungary.
Nobody can fault the trouble of the Canadian gamers. Even within the losses, that they had their probabilities and left every thing on the court docket.
“We took confidence from [winning the doubles]. Gab performed unimaginable. The final match was an incredible battle from Alexis with Fucsovic,” mentioned captain Frank Dancevic in his post-tie press convention. “Fucsovics was enjoying at a really high-level at the moment, it was actually simply a few balls that modified every thing within the match. We fought proper to the top, proper to the final ball, and I’m very happy with my staff, of the boys, how they fought, how we nearly received. It was arduous to return again from 2-0 down however we discovered a manner and gave ourselves an opportunity and we gave every thing we might.”
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Throughout his press convention on Saturday after the 2 singles losses, Dancevic confirmed no indicators of panic and expressed complete confidence in his staff’s potential to scrape the tie again. His gamers justified their captain’s religion with a pair of sturdy wins to get the tie again to 2-2.
“I simply went on the market, had a bunch of enjoyable with Vasek and simply went for it,” mentioned Draxl, who needed to make his Davis Cup debut underneath extraordinarily difficult circumstances. “Actually simply tried to maintain it that straightforward and run on instincts and simply play my sport. It was tremendous enjoyable, a very particular second.”
Pospisil was impressed by his younger companion’s composure underneath strain, saying, “It was very spectacular from Liam’s perspective that there was no pressure. At no level did I really feel like he was nervous. We have been each very relaxed all through the entire match which normally will occur you probably have slightly bit extra expertise in these conditions so for the primary time, it was very spectacular to see.”
What Now?
Staff Canada is heading into territory they haven’t confronted shortly.
For the primary time for the reason that Davis Cup launched its revamped “Finals” format in 2019, Canada won’t be making the journey to the Davis Cup Finals.
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Reasonably than vying for the trophy this fall, Canada will probably be enjoying for likelihood simply to remain within the high flight of worldwide staff tennis. With the qualifying loss this weekend, Canada will play within the World Group I in September. They might want to win that tie simply to get again to the 2026 Qualifiers 1st Spherical.
In the event that they lose in September, they may don’t have any shot on the title in 2026. They might want to win a tie in February’s World Group I playoffs to get again to the World Group I in September 2026, the place they’d have a shot to get again into the 2027 Qualifiers.
“There have been a lot of positives we are able to take from this weekend. We’ve an excellent staff, we’re proper there with a lot of superb groups,” mentioned Dancevic. “Even after we lose, we discover a strategy to give ourselves an opportunity. I’ve lots of confidence on this staff, even when we have now to play the playoffs in September to remain on this group. I’ve lots of confidence that we’ll give efficiency.”
Prepared for a historical past lesson?
The final time Canada confronted potential relegation was in 2018, the final yr of the previous Davis Cup format. On that event, they defeated the Netherlands to earn a spot in qualifying in 2019. Staff Canada has been within the highest division of the Davis Cup, no matter format, since 2012.
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They’ve received 5 straight ties when dealing with relegation. The final time they misplaced a playoff tie was 2005, however on that event they have been searching for promotion. The final time Canada was within the high tier and misplaced to be demoted was 2004, when the Canadians adopted up a first-round loss within the previous World Group to the Netherlands with a playoff loss to Romania to drop into the Americas Zone.
That’s a good distance of claiming that it has been a very long time since Canada was really demoted from the very best degree.
Une query d’intuition
Selon vous, quel joueur d’Équipe Canada présentée par IGA a eu le meilleur temps?
A query of intuition
Which participant from Staff Canada introduced by IGA do you suppose had the most effective time?
pic.twitter.com/O5cXKFWOEW
— Tennis Canada (@TennisCanada) February 2, 2025
“It’s a part of Davis Cup. You’re going to up, you’re going to go down. It’s not yearly that you simply’re going to win it…. except you’re Italy,” quipped Dancevic.
“But it surely’s simply a part of the journey. These guys are younger guys, they don’t have that a lot expertise on the staff. Davis Cup is one thing that takes lots of feelings from you, managing feelings, managing the weekend, and it’s an awesome studying expertise for them simply to be right here and to be a part of the staff as a lot as potential and dropping is a part of it. It’s a part of the journey. And simply protecting our heads up. We’ve an awesome staff, I’ve lots of confidence within the staff and we transfer ahead. We rebuild. We take a look at the place we are able to enhance and that’s how we go about it.
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Just one participant on Staff Canada this weekend has ever performed a Davis Cup playoff tie earlier than, Pospisil. And the 34-year-old won’t be there to assist the staff in September as he introduced following his doubles win on Sunday that this weekend’s tie was his final for the Davis Cup staff.
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