MONTREAL, September 4, 2018 (Press Release)
Tennis Canada announced on Tuesday that Milos Raonic, Denis Shapovalov, Vasek Pospisil, Félix Auger-Aliassime and Daniel Nestor have been selected by team captain Frank Dancevic to compete against the Netherlands in the upcoming Davis Cup by BNP Paribas World Group tie, which will take place from September 14 to 16 at Coca-Cola Coliseum in Toronto.
“This is an important tie for us as we are hoping to maintain our place in the World Group for next year,” stated Dancevic. “We believe that we belong among the elite nations and that we can aspire to win the Davis Cup trophy in the near future. To get there, we need to continue to work as a team and to build on our foundation that is already quite strong. The Netherlands will be tough opponents, but we are excited to get out on the court and give our all to get the victory. We will have the advantage of playing at home and we are looking forward to competing in front of the fans in Toronto.”
The Royal Dutch Lawn Tennis Association and the team’s captain Paul Haarhuis have nominated world no. 49 Robin Haase, Thiemo de Bakker (no. 211), Scott Griekspoor (no. 232) as well as Jean-Julien Rojer and Matwe Middelkoop, no. 9 and 30 in doubles, respectively, to defend the colours of the Netherlands.
Raonic will be making a return to the Davis Cup and will play in his first tie since 2015, where he helped Canada overcome Japan in the World Group first round. The Ontario native holds an impressive record of 16 wins and only six losses in Davis Cup action. Raonic, who is currently ranked world no. 24, reached the fourth round at the US Open, notably defeating Stan Wawrinka before falling to John Isner in five sets.
Shapovalov, who will be playing in his fifth Davis Cup tie, holds a record of four wins and three losses. At 19 years old, the world no. 28 recently reached the third round at the US Open.
Pospisil has been an important member of the Canadian team over the past few years. In fact, he has defended the Canadian flag at the Davis Cup since 2008 et holds a record of 17 wins and 16 losses. The 28-year-old, currently ranked no. 88, lost against Rafael Nadal in the second round at the US Open.
Auger-Aliassime will be the team’s rookie. The 18-year-old recently took part in his first Grand Slam main draw at the US Open after winning his three qualifying matches in New York. Last month, in his Rogers Cup first round match, he notched the best win of his young career, defeating Frenchman Lucas Pouille, ranked no. 18 in the world.
Nestor, the longest serving member of the Canadian Davis Cup team, will be taking part in his 53rd tie since making his debut in 1992. He holds a number of team records, including the most years played (25), the most ties played (52) and the most victories (48). Nestor, who is celebrating his 46th birthday today, will be retiring this fall and will thus be playing in his final Davis Cup tie in Toronto.
Canada and the Netherlands will be facing off for the fourth time in Davis Cup history. Canada was victorious in two of the three previous encounters, the last of which dates back to 2004 in the World Group first round. Canada will be the favourite thanks to its ranking of no. 14, while the Netherlands are currently ranked no. 18 in the Davis Cup rankings. The winner of this tie will secure a spot in the World Group for 2019, while the losing nation will be relegated to their respective Zonal Group I.
The Canadian team has been in the World Group since 2012, having reached the semi-finals in 2013 and the quarter-finals in 2015. Canada is participating in this upcoming tie following their 3-1 loss to Croatia in the first round this past February in Osijek.
Davis Cup by BNP Paribas is the largest annual team competition in sport, with 133 countries participating in 2018. The prestigious Davis Cup trophy has been awarded since 1900.
Tickets are still available for the tie between Canada and the Netherlands, which will take place at Coca-Cola Coliseum. Day tickets start at $37.50 and three-day packages for the event are also available. Tickets can be purchased on Ticketmaster.
