Felix Auger-Aliassime records 58th win of year as Canada reaches Davis Cup semifinals

Canada has advanced to the semifinals of Davis Cup for the fourth time in the history of the event, after edging Germany in a tight quarterfinal tie, 2-1, in Malaga, Spain on Thursday.

Following Jan-Lennard Struff’s grueling two-hour-plus 6-3, 4-6, 7-6 (2) victory over Denis Shapovalov in the first singles match of the day, Felix Auger-Aliassime got the Canadian team on the board, defeating Oscar Otte, 7-6 (1), 6-4, to even the tie at one apiece.

Auger-Aliassime now has the standalone second-most wins on the men’s tour this year, breaking a tie with Carlos Alcaraz.

MOST WINS FOR A MAN THIS YEAR (tour-level):
61: Stefanos Tsitsipas
58: Felix Auger-Aliassime
57: Carlos Alcaraz
51: Andrey Rublev
51: Casper Ruud

“I try to give everything I can on the court,” Auger-Aliassime told DavisCupFinals.com. “It’s never easy in Davis Cup, but I was able to play well in the things I was controlling, and I was serving really well.

“Hopefully we get the next win so we can keep going.”

It all came down to the deciding doubles rubber, with both countries fielding some fantastic teams—Germany had a pair of former No. 7s in doubles in Kevin Krawietz and Tim Puetz, with Krawietz a two-time Roland Garros champion, while Canada had Pospisil, a former No. 4 with a Wimbledon title on his resume, and Shapovalov, a former No. 10 in singles (and a former No. 44 in doubles).

The Germans cruised through the first set but the Canadians fought back, eventually clinching the tie with a 2-6, 6-3, 6-3 victory.

Canada is now through to the final four in Davis Cup for the fourth time, having gotten this far in 1913, 2013 and 2019, too. They’ve been finalists once before in 2019, finishing runners-up to Spain.

Up next for Canada will be Italy, who defeated the United States in their quarterfinal clash earlier in the day, 2-1. Lorenzo Sonego upset Frances Tiafoe in the first match, 6-3, 7-6 (7), before Taylor Fritz tied things up with a 7-6 (8), 6-3 victory over Lorenzo Musetti, but then 2015 Australian Open champions Simone Bolelli and Fabio Fognini defeated Tommy Paul and Jack Sock for the win, 6-4, 6-4.