Italy tops Group A, Spain triumph without Alcaraz; eight nations confirmed for Malaga showdown from Nov 19-24
Canada advanced to the Davis Cup quarter-finals for the third consecutive year with a victory over Britain on Sunday, while the Netherlands also progressed despite a narrow loss to defending champions Italy.
Canada needed just one win in Manchester to eliminate the hosts and top Group D. Denis Shapovalov secured the result swiftly, defeating Dan Evans 6-0 7-5, and celebrated by enjoying ice cream on court. Shapovalov acknowledged the challenge of playing in front of a partisan crowd of around 15,000, saying he focused on staying composed and in control despite the rising energy in the arena.
Felix Auger-Aliassime sealed the win for Canada by defeating Britain’s top player Jack Draper 7-6(8) 7-5 in a high-quality match, giving the 2022 champions a decisive 2-0 lead. Britain salvaged some pride as Henry Patten and Neal Skupski beat Gabriel Diallo and Alexis Galarneau 7-5 6-4 in doubles.
The Final 8 knockout stage will take place in Malaga from November 19-24, with a draw later this week determining match-ups. Qualified teams include Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, Australia, the United States, Germany, Canada, and Argentina.
In Bologna, Italy secured a 2-0 lead against the Netherlands to top Group A. Matteo Berrettini overcame Botic van de Zandschulp 3-6 6-4 6-4, while Flavio Cobolli beat Tallon Griekspoor 7-6(4) 4-6 6-3. However, the Netherlands advanced as group runners-up after Wesley Koolhof and Van de Zandschulp defeated Simone Bolelli and Andrea Vavassori 7-6(6) 7-5 in doubles.
In Group B, Spain rested world number three Carlos Alcaraz but still secured a hard-fought 2-1 victory over Australia in Valencia. Marcel Granollers and Pedro Martinez rallied to beat Matthew Ebden and Max Purcell 5-7 6-4 6-4 in doubles, sealing the group win for Spain. Pablo Carreno Busta had earlier won against Jordan Thompson 2-6 6-2 7-6(3), while Alexei Popyrin levelled the tie by defeating Martinez 6-4 6-4.
In Zhuhai, Chile ended their campaign positively with a 2-1 win over Slovakia to finish third in Group C, though both teams were already out of contention.
