Canada, Australia and Germany set to advance in the Davis Cup Finals after group‐stage wins
Canada, Australia and Germany remained unbeaten in the group stage of the Davis Cup Finals after each winning their second straight match on Thursday, while Czech player Tomas Machac retired injured for the second time in two days after playing only six minutes.
Canada won 3‐0 against Fin‐ land, Australia beat the Czech Republic by the same score, and Germany swept aside Chile 3‐0.
Denis Shapovalov beat Eero Vasa 7‐6 (2), 6‐2 and Felix Auger‐Aliassime followed up with a 6‐2, 6‐3 win over Otto Vir‐ tanen for the 2022 Davis Cup champions in Manchester, Eng‐ land.
There was an element of re‐ venge after Canada lost to Fin‐ land in last year's quarterfinals.
"Everybody's in good spirits, so it's very good," Auger‐Aliassime said. "Any motivation is good, but I think it's a different year, a different time, and (last year's loss) was behind us. This year we have a full team and everybody's playing better than last year. Everybody's improved."
Auger‐Aliassime was back on court soon after with Shapovalov in doubles to wrap up the tie with a 6‐2, 7‐5 win over Virtanen and Harri Heliovaara.
Machac's injury was the focus as Australia marched into a 2‐0 lead against the Czech Republic in Valencia, Spain.
What had seemed to be simply cramps when he retired against Spain's Carlos Alcaraz on Wednesday proved more serious and long‐lasting as Machac played just nine points in his match with Alexei Popyrin.
Machac was playing with band‐ ages around his right calf and called for a medical timeout after Popyrin held serve in the first game, before retiring at 30‐15 down in the second.
"We saw him last night, and he didn't look too good last night, so we wish him a speedy recovery and hopefully he's back on tour quickly," Popyrin said.
Earlier, Thanasi Kokkinakis had given Australia the lead in the opening match by beating Jakub Mensik 6‐2, 6‐7 (2), 6‐3. Aus‐ tralia made it 3‐0 in the doubles as Matthew Ebden and Max Pur‐ cell beat Mensik and Adam Pavlasek 6‐4, 6‐2.
On an indoor hard court in Zhuhai, China, Germany's Maxi‐ milian Marterer beat Tomas Bar‐ rios Vera 6‐1, 6‐3, then Yannick Hanfmann defeated Alejandro Tabilo 7‐5, 6‐4 to clinch the tie. Kevin Krawietz and Tim Puetz, who have lost only one cup match, beat Barrios Vera and Matias Soto 6‐1, 6‐3. In no match was Germany broken. Germany has never lost to Chile, which didn't use an ill Nicolas Jarry.
The Netherlands picked up its first win against Brazil in the only one of Thursday's ties that was decided in doubles. Wesley Koolhof and Botic van de Zand‐ schulp won a close match 6‐4, 7‐ 6 (5) against Brazil's Rafael Matos and Marcelo Melo to hand Brazil its second loss in Bologna, Italy.