Finland hope to continue Davis Cup fairy tale and inspire new generation
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Finland's Harri Heliovaara and Otto Virtanen shake hands with Canada's Alexis Galarneau and Vasek Pospisil after their match.
PHOTO: REUTERS
MALAGA – Finland became the first Nordic nation to make the Davis Cup semi-finals since Sweden in 2007 following a gutsy win over champions Canada on Nov 21, and captain Jarkko Nieminen said their success can help grow the sport in the region.
Cheered on in Malaga by thousands of Finnish fans who have made the nearby town of Fuengirola their home, the tournament outsiders prevailed 2-1 with Otto Virtanen and Harri Heliovaara securing a famous victory in the doubles decider.
Finland boasts famous figures in Formula One, like Mika Hakkinen, Kimi Raikkonen and Valtteri Bottas, as well as in ice hockey, athletics and winter sports but there are not many notable tennis players.
Former world No. 13 Nieminen believes that his team’s best-ever Davis Cup run could inspire a new generation.
“Many people play tennis. But not so many compete,” he said. “We don’t have many professional players. It’s a popular hobby sport, but it is not one of the traditional sports in Finland.
“But now tennis is getting bigger and bigger. Even before our success, tennis was getting a little bit bigger. Now tennis is getting more attention. The Davis Cup team are getting more attention.
“Just that if you are able to see more tennis on TV or in the newspapers... that helps. It’s not one of the biggest sports but hopefully it will be in the near future.”
Finland will play the winners of the quarter-final on Nov 22 between 2022 runners-up Australia and the Czech Republic in the last four on Nov 24.
“We have the belief that we have high goals, but it doesn’t help to expect that everything always goes well,” Nieminen added. “We always try to work hard. We obviously expect more great experiences on Friday.”
The Canadians were dealt a blow before their clash against Finland when top-ranked Felix Auger-Aliassime was forced to sit out with a lower body issue, while Finnish No. 1 Emil Ruusuvuori was also missing through injury.
In the opening match, Milos Raonic, playing in his first Davis Cup Finals since 2018, overcame Patrick Kaukovalta 6-3, 7-5 to give Canada the lead.
The Finns hit back through Virtanen, when he secured a 6-4, 7-5 win over Gabriel Diallo.
The decisive doubles match was then won by Virtanen and Heliovaara, who claimed a 7-5, 6-3 victory over Alexis Galarneau and Vasek Pospisil. REUTERS
