Denis Shapovalov once again did his job to give Team Canada the lead at the 2024 Davis Cup Finals group stage in Manchester, defeating Eero Vasa in straight sets on Thursday to score the opening point in their second round-robin tie against Finland.
Quick starts in both sets put the wind at the Canadian’s back, although Vasa did not go away quietly. Shapovalov had to hold his never to keep the powerful Finn at bay and give Canada the 1-0 lead with a 7-6(2), 6-2, win.
Apart from one game early in the first set, it was a brilliant serving performance from Shapovalov, who only lost 10 points on serve in the whole match, just two in the second set. The Canadian won 84 per cent of his first serve points and only faced two break points in the match. He also had 16 winners to his opponent’s seven, while Vasa threw in 40 unforced errors.
Shapovalov came charging out of the gate, winning 12 of the first 13 points including all eight on his serve of which five were unreturned serves. Vasa was struggling to find his range early and a double fault followed by a forehand well long gave away an early break.
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Once the Finn settled in, he was able to turn the momentum around quickly. He used his big first serve to start holding and Shapovalov played a sloppy game at 3-1, double-faulting to give the break back. The two remained even for the rest of the set, although Vasa did have to save a set point on his serve at 4-5, delivering an ace.
In the tiebreak, Shapovalov again raced out to a 3-0 lead, courtesy of consecutive errors by Vasa on his own serve, and this time he did not let his early advantage slip away. He led the breaker wire to wire and took the opening set.
Just like the first, Shapovalov came out flying to start the second set while Vasa looked sluggish. The Canadian broke to love in the opening game, courtesy of a Vasa double fault, a then backed it up with a hold to love for a 2-0 lead.
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There was no letdown in the second set. Shapovalov was in full flow, forcing Vasa to run laps behind the baseline with his pinpoint groundstrokes. The serve was untouchable as the Canadian won his first 12 points in a row, three love holds, and added a second break for good measure on his way to victory.
Félix Auger-Aliassime now has a chance to clinch the tie and take a stranglehold on a spot in November’s Davis Cup Final 8 in the second singles match against Otto Virtanen. Shapovalov and Auger-Aliassime are also scheduled to play the doubles.
