(Tennis news) The 2022 season started off perfectly for team Canada with a first ATP Cup title. Canada were not the favourites in the final as they were facing Spain, a team which had reached the finals in the first edition and semifinals last year. The event has now seen three different winners in the last three editions as Spain has been the runner up twice.

The singles matches had all the four players ranked in the top 21 as Spain was against the youngest singles pair in the event. The first singles match was between Denis Shapovalov and Pablo Carreno Busta, the Spaniard had won his last four singles matches in straight sets at the event. Pablo had also won the last three matches in their head to head meetings as Shapovalov’s only victory came in 2019. The Canadian had withdrawn in his first singles match against USA due to fatigue, in the next match he lost against Britain’s Daniel Evans but went on to win the next two matches.

The first game of the final took 14 minutes as Shapovalov saved multiple breakpoints to hold his serve. Pablo had several chances to break the 22 year old’s serve but the next gen player did whatever he could to hold his serve and finished most of the points at the net. It was not until the 10th game that Shapovalov got the first break as he took the set against an defensive Pablo in 54 minutes. 

In the second set, it was team Canada again as the left handed player kept Spain in the back with his paradisiacal groundstrokes. In the next half an hour, Canada was halfway through the finish line as Shapovalov joined the crowds in celebration. The second match was between Roberto Bautista Agut and Felix Auger Aliassime as Spain needed their top player more than ever. Roberto had won his last four matches which included two top ten wins and a bagel in the first match. Felix had lost to Daniil Medvedev in the previous match as he was bageled in the second set, the 21 year old had also lost his first match to Taylor Fritz but defeated Alexander Zverev in his third match.

Felix was 12 years junior to Roberto yet he was the one who had a more vintage style than the Spaniard. Although both the players were finishing most of the points from the baseline, Felix came into the net 16 times and only lost four chances. Roberto only won 4 points out of 9 at the net as he was hesitant to leave from the baseline. Spain was in the lead as it won the first two games but the rising star came level in the next few games. The 33 year old had a major breakpoint at 4-3 on Felix’s serve but could not savor it as the match reached the tie break and there were no chances left as Canada was a set away from victory.

The second set saw Spain’s chance further deteriorate as the world number 9 was bringing his team closer to the Cup. Felix broke Roberto’s serve in the 8th game and four minutes later a chest bump celebration started off for team Canada with its first ATP Cup title.

Canada defeated Spain 2-0

Shapovalov defeated Pablo 6-4, 6-3, Felix defeated Roberto 7-6(7-3), 6-3

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