Team Canada has a tough task ahead of them if they are to reach the Davis Cup Final 8 for the third year in a row. The group stage of the Davis Cup Finals takes place next week and Canada finds themselves in Group D with the hosts Great Britain, led by US Open semifinalist Jack Draper, a deep team from Argentina, and the squad that eliminated them in 2023, Finland. Before Canada hits the court in Manchester, let’s meet the teams standing between them and a spot in Malaga.
Argentina
Date: Tuesday, Sep. 10
Head-to-Head: Argentina leads 2-1
Last Meeting: 2001 Group I Americas Semifinal (Cordoba, Argentina), Argentina won 5-0
On paper, Argentina is the strongest team in the group. They are the only country to boast three players inside the ATP Top 100, all of whom are in the Top 40. Tomas Martin Etcheverry, the Argentine No. 3 who is ranked No. 33 on the ATP Tour, would be the No. 2 singles player on every other team in the group.
Interestingly, the three of them have a combined 7-7 record in Davis Cup play. Baez and Cerundolo are both 3-3 while Etcheverry is 1-1.
Finland
Date: Thursday, Sep. 12
Head-to-Head: Tied 1-1
Last Meeting: 2023 Davis Cup Final 8 Quarter-finals (Malaga, Spain), Finland won 2-1
Canada will be out for revenge when they meet Finland in the second group stage tie after the underdog Finns ended the Canucks’ bid for back-to-back titles in the quarter-finals last November. The Finnish squad will look fairly similar to the one that upset Canada in Malaga with four of five team members returning. Otto Virtanan and Harri Heliovaara are both back and looking for more success against the Canadians.
Great Britain
Date: Sunday, Sep. 15
Head-to-Head: Great Britain leads 2-0
Last Meeting: 2017 World Group First Round (Ottawa, ON), Great Britain won 3-2
The host nation may be the team to beat in Manchester as they have arguably the most in-form player on any of the four teams, Jack Draper. The British No. 1 is coming off a semifinal performance at the US Open, his best result at a major to date.
