The Frank Dancevic-led side will face Chile without their best numbers, who confirmed to La Tercera that they won’t be in Italy. Denis Shapovalov could also get away with it.
If there was any hope in Canada that Milos Raonic and Felix Auger-Aliassime would choose to play in the group stage of the Davis Cup Finals based on their performance at the US Open, that possibility was ruled out.
“I love playing the Davis Cup, but the schedule is very tough. My body needs time, my knee won’t let me play as often Aliassime said The third after losing in the first round of the New York Grand Slam, his sixth defeat in his last seven matches.
The pupil of Toni Nadal has chosen not to leave North America: he will rest these weeks in his country and then go to the Laver Cup in Vancouver, which takes place the week after the Davis Cup.
“I told the captain that I will not go. It’s not possible, because I struggled with a lot of things. I need to rest more between events because my body is no longer the same Raonic confirmed. The former world number three has been back in high competition for three months after multiple injuries, and he sees week after week how his physique is reacting.
Either way, both are confident that Canada can continue to defend their title without them.
“My teammates have a good opportunity to level up. I hope they win big games . I will watch him and wish him the best. They are good friends and we had a great time last year being champions,” commented the current world number 15, who is defending three titles at the end of the year, and if he doesn’t manage a end of the season, he could leave the top 70.
Denis Shapovalov, current number two of the North Americans, had to be absent due to injury at the US Open, so we do not know. Even without him, Raonic believes Canada has a chance to qualify for the final in Malaga in November.
“I don’t think our chances without Félix, Denis and I are that low. Vasek (Pospisil) knows how to play well, Gabriel (Diallo) is doing very well and is moving up the rankings. Covered hard court, this is the ideal condition for our players . You have to win in singles and doubles, it’s not like before that you had to win three points. It will be difficult, but anything is possible,” commented Raonic.
Similarly in Italy, another national rival, the possible loss of one of its stars is also on the table. Matteo Berrettini (36th) suffered a nasty injury at the US Open, so he could experience another absence from the circuit. At the moment, he has had to withdraw from the tournament and it is unclear what his plans are for the coming weeks and how long it will take him to recover.
The Chilean team led by Nicolás Massú, which will feature its top five players in the standings, will make its debut in Bologna in Group A against Sweden (September 12). Two days later they will play against Italy. On September 16, Chile will face the diminished defending champion.
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Source: Latercera
I’m Rose Brown , a journalist and writer with over 10 years of experience in the news industry. I specialize in covering tennis-related news for Athletistic, a leading sports media website. My writing is highly regarded for its quick turnaround and accuracy, as well as my ability to tell compelling stories about the sport.
