Germany overpower Canada to set up Davis Cup semi-final with the Netherlands
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Germany's Daniel Altmaier celebrates after winning his match against Canada's Gabriel Diallo.
PHOTO: REUTERS
MALAGA – Three-time Davis Cup winners Germany are looking forward to the next challenge, as they eased into the semi-finals with a 2-0 victory over Canada on Nov 20.
Jan-Lennard Struff beat Denis Shapovalov 4-6, 7-5, 7-6 (7-5) to avenge Germany’s defeat in the 2022 quarter-finals by eventual victors Canada. Daniel Altmaier had earlier defeated Gabriel Diallo 7-6 (7-5), 6-4 in the opening singles to put them ahead in the quarter-final.
Germany, who last won the competition in 1993, will face Netherlands in the final four after they defeated Spain to bring the curtain down on Rafael Nadal’s career.
“It was a very good, tough game, Shapa was firing his serves in, first serves and second serves... he was changing directions a lot, it was tough to read the serve,” said Struff.
“The court was pretty fast, so it was tough to stay calm. I managed to stay in the game and in the set... We’re in the semis now, we’re very happy, let’s look forward to Friday.”
Shapovalov clinched the first set with a fine forehand winner to earn the only break in the 10th game.
Veteran Struff, the world No. 43, was up against the ropes for much of the second set but produced a break in the 11th game, before holding to force a third set.
The big-serving Shapovalov committed several double faults, with one resulting in Struff breaking for a 4-3 lead in the decider, moments after the Canadian had smashed his racket onto the ground in frustration for losing the previous point.
Shapovalov, ranked 56th, recovered to break for 5-5 as the 34-year-old Struff faltered when serving for the match, leading to a tiebreak. However, the Canadian lost the match and the tie for his country with his 13th double fault.
Earlier, world No. 88 Altmaier racked up a 5-0 lead in the first set tiebreak against Diallo, before closing it out to take the lead. In the second set, he survived two break points in the first game and then broke himself in the 10th and final game to triumph as Diallo, ranked two spots higher, crumbled.
“I wish I could have brought my team the point. They counted on me to deliver and I didn’t deliver, so that’s on me,” said the 23-year-old Diallo.
Altmaier admitted he felt extremely nervous ahead of the match.
“Definitely the nerves were a lot, I was saying to the captain in the morning when I was warming up I was really nervous coming up to the match. I guess (it) helps me a lot to communicate this openly, not to hide away my nerves,” he said.
In another Davis Cup quarter-final on Nov 21, Australia booked their place in the semi-finals by beating record 32-time champions the United States 2-1.
Australia’s Thanasi Kokkinakis had upset Ben Shelton 6-1, 4-6, 7-6 (16-14) in the opening singles after saving four match points.
The US’ world No. 4 Taylor Fritz then levelled it up with a 6-3, 6-4 win over Alex de Minaur to send the tie to the doubles.
Olympic champion Matthew Ebden and Jordan Thompson clinched the deciding match, beating Tommy Paul and Shelton 6-4, 6-4.
AFP, REUTERS
