Felix Auger-Aliassime fired Canada to its first Davis Cup Finals title on Sunday when he defeated Alex de Minaur 6-3, 6-4 to give his nation an unassailable 2-0 lead against Australia in Malaga.

The World No. 6 won his singles and doubles match to secure Canada a place in the final and he backed that up with a dominant display against de Minaur. Auger-Aliassime fired 22 winners and held his nerve at crucial moments, saving all eight break points he faced to triumph after one hour and 42 minutes.

“The emotions are tough to describe,” Auger-Aliassime said according to daviscup.com. “Denis [Shapovalov] and I grew up together, dreaming of these types of stage, dreaming of winning the Davis Cup. It’s a great moment for myself and for the country.”

It is the first time Canada has won the Davis Cup Finals after it reached the championship match for the first time in 2019. On that occasion, Auger-Aliassime and Shapovalov were beaten by Roberto Bautista Agut and Rafael Nadal, respectively, to fall agonisingly short of winning a first Davis Cup crown for their country.

However, they ensured history didn’t repeat itself this week, with Shapovalov downing Thanasi Kokkinakis 6-2, 6-4 in the opening match of the tie to move Canada ahead.

“It helped me being in the final before [against Spain in 2019],” Shapovalov said according to daviscup.com. “Last time it was all kind of new, we were relieved just to be there, but today we’re very much going for the trophy.”

In a dominant display, Shapovalov was strong on return. He read Kokkinakis’ serve throughout, breaking four times as he quickly established himself in rallies to pressurise the World No. 95 into errors, sealing victory after 90 minutes.

In a dream week, Canada also defeated Germany and Italy. Australia overcame Croatia in the semi-finals to reach its first Davis Cup final since 2003.

Auger-Aliassime ends his career-best season holding a 60-27 record. In a standout year, the 22-year-old won four tour-level titles and helped guide Canada to the ATP Cup trophy.

Could 2022 be the year that Canada goes all the way at the Davis Cup Finals?

Led by World No. 6 Felix Auger-Aliassime, the North American country is now just one tie away from a historic maiden triumph in the team event after it secured a semi-final comeback victory against Italy on Saturday in Malaga.

Auger-Aliassime was the key to the Canadian’s 2-1 victory in the tie. Although Lorenzo Sonego moved Italy ahead with an epic 7-6(4), 6-7(5), 6-4 triumph against Denis Shapovalov in the opening singles rubber, the 22-year-old Auger-Aliassime downed Lorenzo Musetti 6-3, 6-4 to level proceedings in Spain.

Canada captain Frank Dancevic then made a late change to his doubles line-up for the decider, calling up Auger-Aliassime to partner Vasek Pospisil against Matteo Berrettini and Fabio Fognini. The plan worked, as the Canadians broke their opponents’ serve three times en route to a 7-6(2), 7-5 win that set a final clash on Sunday against Australia.

“That’s the good thing about having many good players on the team,” said Auger-Aliassime. “I feel like Denis and Vasek played really well yesterday to come back and win, but Denis had a long match, and we knew coming this week that we could make some changes depending on how singles went.

“I feel like the whole team connected around this idea and there was no ego in the wrong place. Everybody just has the clear idea of the main goal, which is lifting the cup tomorrow.”

Canada reached the Davis Cup final for the first time in 2019. On that occasion, Auger-Aliassime and Shapovalov were beaten by Roberto Bautista Agut and Rafael Nadal, respectively, to fall agonisingly short of winning a first Davis Cup crown for their country.

“Making the finals is always an amazing feeling, and I really believe in this team,” said captain Dancevic. “We’ve done it before, we’re here again and I believe we can win this, so we’re going to go after it tomorrow and give it all we’ve got.

“The guys left their hearts and souls out on the court today, from the first ball to the last, as a captain that’s all I could ask for. The boys in the doubles stepped it up to take this victory.”

What is the format for the 2022 Davis Cup Finals?
The group stage of the 2022 Davis Cup by Rakuten Finals took place across four cities — Bologna, Glasgow, Hamburg and Valencia — from 13-18 September. Sixteen nations competed in four round-robin groups of four teams. The top two teams in each group advanced to the knock-out stage. The knock-out stage is taking place in Malaga this week, with the final on Sunday.

Alex de Minaur raced past Marin Cilic on Friday at the Davis Cup Finals in Malaga to spark an inspired semi-final comeback victory for Australia against 2021 finalists Croatia.

De Minaur dominated his singles rubber against Cilic, breaking the World No. 17’s serve four times for a 6-2, 6-2 win that levelled the tie at 1-1 after Borna Coric had earlier defeated Thanasi Kokkinakis. Max Purcell and Jordan Thompson then delivered a stunning serving display against Nikola Mektic and Mate Pavic in the doubles to secure their nation a 2-1 victory in the tie and its first appearance in a Davis Cup final since 2003.

“It’s been a long time,” said Australia captain Lleyton Hewitt after his team’s victory. “Obviously we are a very proud Davis Cup nation. I’m just thrilled for these boys, they deserve to go out there and get the opportunity to play in the final of a Davis Cup, and now it’s going to happen on Sunday.”

Hewitt played in his country’s previous Davis Cup final appearance, a 2003 victory against Spain in Melbourne. Australia will take on Italy or Canada in Sunday’s final as it bids to lift the Davis Cup for the 29th time.

Purcell and Thompson were not broken once as they downed 14-time tour-level titlists Mektic and Pavic 6-7(3), 7-5, 6-4 in a raucous atmosphere in southern Spain. That win completed a turnaround victory after Coric had earlier moved Croatia ahead with a 6-4, 6-3 triumph against Kokkinakis.

“There’s nothing like it, honestly, there’s nothing like it,“ said Purcell after he and Thompson’s dramatic two-hour, 14-minute victory. “That’s the best thing I’ve ever experienced ever. Anything for the green and gold, honestly.”

“We were [just] holding serve,” added Thompson. “I feel like we did a good job of that. The opportunities weren’t coming, but we hung in there and eventually we did get a couple of opportunities and we took them on the first go each time. Doubles can change so quickly, and it did.”

What is the format for the 2022 Davis Cup Finals?
The group stage of the 2022 Davis Cup by Rakuten Finals took place across four cities — Bologna, Glasgow, Hamburg and Valencia — from 13-18 September. Sixteen nations competed in four round-robin groups of four teams. The top two teams in each group advanced to the knock-out stage. The knock-out stage is taking place in Malaga this week, with the final on Sunday.

Simone Bolelli and Fabio Fognini kept alive Italy’s hopes of a first Davis Cup title since 1976 on Thursday in Malaga, where the doubles duo edged Tommy Paul and Jack Sock 6-4, 6-4 to clinch a hard-fought quarter-final win against the USA.

Bolleli and Fognini, who have lifted five tour-level titles together, including two this season, clinched the only break of serve in each set in the decisive doubles match to give Italy a 2-1 victory against the 32-time champions.

“I am really happy, I am here with my ‘brother’ and we played really well,” Fognini told daviscup.com after helping Italy reach the semi-finals of the team event for the first time since 2014.

“I am happy for me, for Fabio, for the team,” added Bolelli. “It was really tough, but it is great to be through to the semi-finals.”

Bolelli and Fognini’s doubles heroics came after the two teams had split an engrossing pair of singles rubbers in Spain. Lorenzo Sonego downed Frances Tiafoe 6-3, 7-6(7) to give Italy the early advantage, while there was also a nerve-wracking tie-break in the second match between Lorenzo Musetti and Taylor Fritz. The American saved two set points in the first set before wrapping a 7-6(8), 6-3 win to level the tie, but Fritz’s win was ultimately in vain as Bolelli and Fognini held firm in the doubles.

Italy’s semi-final opponent will be decided in the Thursday evening quarter-final clash between Canada and Germany. Felix Auger-Aliassime and Denis Shapovalov spearhead the Canadian team, with Jan-Lennard Struff and Oscar Otte the nominated singles players for Germany.

What is the format for the 2022 Davis Cup Finals?
The group stage of the 2022 Davis Cup by Rakuten Finals took place across four cities — Bologna, Glasgow, Hamburg and Valencia — from 13-18 September. Sixteen nations competed in four round-robin groups of four teams. The top two teams in each group advanced to the knock-out stage. The knock-out stage is taking place in Malaga this week, with the final on Sunday.

Eighteen months ago, Ben Shelton was the No. 5 singles player for the University of Florida’s men’s tennis team. At that time, he did not own a Pepperstone ATP Ranking.

Now the 20-year-old is one of the Top 100 players in the world. Shelton climbed to a career-high World No. 97 on Monday.

“It’s definitely gone quick,” Shelton said. “I’m going to take this offseason and slow down a bit, enjoy myself, and also focus on some things I can improve.”

Shelton completed a tremendous three-week run on Sunday when he defeated Australian Aleksandar Vukic to win the ATP Challenger Tour event in Champaign, Illinois. The lefty became the youngest player in Challenger history to lift three trophies in as many weeks, having also emerged victorious in Charlottesville, Virginia and Knoxville, Tennessee.

“I feel pretty lucky, I didn’t expect to play 15 matches in three weeks and my body held up,” Shelton said. “It’s encouraging to me that I can play this many matches and be alright.”

Shelton won the NCAA Singles title in May and has not looked back since. He tallied a 35-8 record on the ATP Challenger Tour, winning three titles and making three additional finals.

The son of former World No. 55 Bryan Shelton also distinguished himself at tour-level events. In July, he battled John Isner to a final-set tie-break in Atlanta, before stunning Lorenzo Sonego and then-World No. 5 Casper Ruud at the ATP Masters 1000 event in Cincinnati. Ahead of the US Open, the lefty turned professional.

Shelton, who began the season outside the world’s Top 550, has climbed more spots than anyone currently inside the Top 100. He does not have any Pepperstone ATP Ranking points to defend until June and is the youngest of 13 Americans in the Top 100.

Marin Cilic sealed Croatia’s spot in the semi-finals at the Davis Cup Finals Wednesday when he clawed past Pablo Carreno Busta 5-7, 6-3, 7-6(5) to move the former champion into an unassailable 2-0 lead against Spain.

In a thrilling match in Malaga, the 34-year-old produced an impressive serving performance. He fired 20 aces and won 83 per cent (50/60) of his first-serve points to seal his victory after three hours and 16 minutes.

In the first match of the tie, Borna Coric overcame Roberto Bautista Agut 6-4, 7-6(4) to give Croatia the lead. The World No. 26 struck 27 winners and saved the one break point he faced to triumph after one hour and 58 minutes.

“I was serving very, very well,” Coric said according to daviscup.com. “I didn’t serve this well since probably Cincinnati. So obviously it’s much easier to play like that. I can relax more on the service games when he’s serving, because I know most likely I will hold my serve. So that’s made a difference.

“I just think in general I was playing very smart. When I needed to attack, I did attack. When I needed to make a defence, I was defensive. I also mixed up the rhythm, as well, which is very important against him. I was just very pleased with my game, to be honest.”

Croatia last lifted the Davis Cup Finals trophy in 2018. The nation will play Australia in the semi-finals on Friday.

What is the format for the 2022 Davis Cup Finals?
The group stage of the 2022 Davis Cup by Rakuten Finals took place across four cities — Bologna, Glasgow, Hamburg and Valencia — from 13-18 September. Sixteen nations competed in four round-robin groups of four teams. The top two teams in each group advanced to the knock-out stage. The knock-out stage is taking place in Malaga this week, with the final on Sunday.