Day one of Team Canada’s Davis Cup World Group I tie in Halifax could not have gone much better for the host nation. Gabriel Diallo and Liam Draxl both secured straight-set wins as Canada leads their tie with Israel 2-0.
Canada only needs to win one match on Saturday to win the tie and return to the Davis Cup Qualifiers in 2026.
Gabriel Diallo kicked off the tie in style for the hosts, easily beating Daniel Cukierman in straight sets to score the first point for the host nation.
With more than 1100 spots between them in the rankings, the 35th-ranked Diallo was on the front foot throughout the match. He converted four of eight break points on the world No. 1178’s serve on his way to a 6-1, 6-2 win. The Montrealer never faced a break point on his own serve.
It was all Diallo practically from the start. He missed a couple of chances to break in Cukierman’s opening service game but from there he cruised. Despite having to serve his way out of a couple of love-30 jams, the Canadian was in full control, breaking twice as he reeled off five straight games from 1-1 to take the opening frame.
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Set two followed a similar script, with Cukierman hanging in early before Diallo ran away with it. This time, they stayed level until 2-all, but Cukierman was struggling with an injury, needing a medical timeout mid-game at 1-1, and the Canadian was able to seize the upper hand. Like the first set, he won five games on the trot to wrap up the victory in just over an hour.
Draxl Finds a Way
Liam Draxl had a trickier time in the second match of the day but managed to get the job done in straight sets, overcoming a slow start to secure a straight-set win over Israeli No. 1 Orel Kimhi 7-6(5), 6-4.
The Canadian No. 2 at this tie had eight aces in what was his first-ever nomination to play singles in Davis Cup. He kept Kimhi under a bit more pressure, creating nine break point chances to his opponent’s seven and converted four.
It took some time for Draxl to find a rhythm. The forehand was nowhere to be found early on and some key mistakes off his primary wing cost him a pair of early breaks as Kimhi went up 4-1. However, the Canadian locked in and made a comeback. He nearly mirrored Diallo’s five-game runs, winning four in a row to recover both breaks and holding a pair of set points on his opponent’s serve at 4-5, but Kimhi managed to hold.
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Closing out the set then proved tricky for the Canadian. He missed those two set points in the 10th game and three more in the 12th. In the tiebreak, he raced out to a quick 3-0 lead that he never relinquished, although he still needed three set points, missing the first two from 6-3 up, before closing it out when Kimhi missed a backhand on the eighth set point. The first set lasted 14 minutes longer than Diallo’s entire match.
Draxl broke early in the second to go up 2-1, the first of three consecutive breaks before the Canadian held to take a 4-2 lead. That advantage proved definitive as Draxl dropped just two points in his final three service games, including a hold to love in the final game, to secure the point for Canada.
Photo : @TrevorMacMillanPhotography
Day two will begin with the doubles at 1 pm local time in Halifax, noon EDT, followed by up to two singles matches. Canada only needs to win one of the three matches to win the tie and advance to the 2026 Davis Cup Qualifiers.
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Barring any changes to the nominations, Draxl and Cleeve Harper will get the first chance to close out the tie for Canada in the doubles against Jordan Hasson and Ofek Shimanov. The two No. 1s, Diallo and Kimhi, are scheduled to play the first singles match of the day, followed by Draxl and Cukierman if necessary. If the result is decided, the second singles match may be cancelled. Nominations can also change prior to the start of play.
Feature Photo : @TrevorMacMillanPhotography
