TORONTO, January 27, 2017
Tennis Canada announced Friday that Peter Polansky will be joining the Canadian team for its Davis Cup by BNP Paribas World Group first-round tie against Great Britain, set for February 3-5, 2017 at TD Place in Ottawa. Polansky will be replacing Milos Raonic, who will be unavailable for this tie due to an adductor injury suffered in his Australian Open quarter-final match on Wednesday.
“I am sad and disappointed that I am unable to compete alongside the Canadian Davis Cup team versus Great Britain,” said Raonic. “I sustained an injury during my previous match in Australia that will keep me off the court for the coming weeks. I wish all the best to my teammates and my full support is behind them in this exciting tie held in Ottawa.”
Polansky will be joining Daniel Nestor, Vasek Pospisil, and Denis Shapovalov on Team Canada. He will be competing in his 11th Davis Cup tie and making his return to the squad for the first time since 2014. Currently ranked world No. 132 (just 10 spots off his career best) he is now Canada’s second-ranked player thanks to a strong 2016 in which he captured the Gatineau Challenger title and three other ITF Pro Circuit trophies. The 28-year-old competed in the Australian Open main draw last week, falling in the first round.
“We wish Milos all the best with his recovery, and know he would be on the court with us if he could,” said Canadian team captain Martin Laurendeau. “Peter has been playing some of the best tennis in his career recently. Our goal remains the same: to do everything we can to get the win and advance to the quarter-finals. We have an important week of preparation ahead of us, and can’t wait to play in front of an amazing crowd in Ottawa next weekend.”
As previously announced, the British team will feature Kyle Edmund, Daniel Evans, Dominic Inglot, and Jamie Murray.
The winner of this tie will advance into the quarter-finals in April while the loser will be forced to compete in September’s World Group play-offs to stay in the top level of the competition for 2018. Canada has advanced past the first round twice in the past five years, making the semifinals in 2013 and quarter-finals in 2015.
