Photo: Martin Sidorjak
Sobeys announced as presenting partner of Canada’s Billie Jean King Cup and Davis Cup teams
Félix Auger-Aliassime (Montreal, QC), Denis Shapovalov (Richmond Hill, ON), Vasek Pospisil (Vernon, BC), Brayden Schnur (Pickering, ON) and Peter Polansky (Toronto, ON) have been selected to represent Canada at the 2021 Davis Cup by Rakuten Finals, which will take place from November 25 to December 5. Tennis Canada also announced on Monday that Sobeys has been named as the presenting partner of Canada’s Billie Jean King Cup and Davis Cup teams for their respective 2021 Finals in Prague and Madrid.
“With just a month to go before the Davis Cup by Rakuten Finals, we are delighted to name the team that will represent Canada in Madrid,” commented Canadian Davis Cup team presented by Sobeys captain Frank Dancevic. “We came so close to becoming world champions two years ago and, although we know it will be a great challenge, we believe that with Félix, Denis, Vasek, Brayden and Peter, we have a team capable of going all the way. We start with tough ties against Sweden and Kazakhstan, and all the teams that qualified are very strong, but we are heading to Spain with plenty of confidence that we can achieve our goal.”
Auger-Aliassime, 21, will be representing Canada for the fourth time in the Davis Cup having been selected for the first time in Toronto in 2018 and making his on-court debut against Slovakia in February 2019. He was also part of the team that reached the final that year in Madrid but lost to host nation Spain. Auger-Aliassime has enjoyed a successful 2021 season so far, reaching a career-high ranking of No. 11 on the ATP Tour and making a run to the semi-finals of the US Open in September.
Shapovalov will be taking part in his eighth Davis Cup event. He made his Davis Cup bow for Canada in a 2016 World Group Play-Off tie against Chile and, more recently, played an instrumental role in the team’s journey to the 2019 final in Madrid, where he won three of his five singles rubbers. Like Auger-Aliassime, Shapovalov, 22, has had a 2021 season to remember, including reaching the final of the Geneva Open and the semi-finals of Wimbledon.
Pospisil will join Auger-Aliassime and Shapovalov at the Finals for what will be the 21st occasion he has represented Canada in the Davis Cup. The 31-year-old holds a 12-11 record in singles and a 10-8 record in doubles. His clutch performances in both disciplines saw him help propel Canada past Italy, the United States, Australia and Russia en route to the 2019 final. He is currently ranked No. 85 on the ATP Tour.
Another of the 2019 Finals contingent, Schnur, will be representing Canada for the third time at this year’s Finals. The 26-year-old experienced his first taste of Davis Cup action in 2017 when he was part of a Canadian team that beat India 3-2 in a World Group Play-Off tie. Polansky, meanwhile, is a Davis Cup veteran having been nominated 14 times and played in 10 ties. His first appearance in 2007 included a straight-sets singles victory against Columbia. His most recent nomination was for the 2019 Qualifiers tie against Slovakia.
The 2021 Davis Cup by Rakuten Finals will consist of six groups each comprised of three nations. Groups A and B will complete their round robin matches in Madrid, Groups C and F in Innsbruck, Austria and Groups D and E in Turin, Italy. The Canadian Davis Cup team presented by Sobeys, in Group B, will play its first tie against Sweden on Thursday, November 25 followed by Kazakhstan on Sunday, November 28. The winner of Group B will play its quarter-final on Wednesday, December 1. The first semi-final will be contested on Friday, December 3 and the second on Saturday, December 4. The final will be played on Sunday, December 5.
The Canadian Davis Cup team presented by Sobeys 2021 Davis Cup by Rakuten Finals journey will be broadcasted live on Sportsnet and TVA Sports and streamed on SN NOW. Coverage of their opening round robin tie against Sweden will begin at 10:00 a.m. Eastern on Thursday, November 25 and its second group tie against Kazakhstan at 4:00 a.m. Eastern on Sunday, November 28.
