IT has seemed a world away since Spain lifted the 2019 Davis Cup. While the 2020 edition was ultimately cancelled and had to be postponed until 2021, it gives tennis fans extra time to work out what teams might look like when it recommences.
Draft Central will take a look at various nations over the break and see what the team might look like. Today’s team is Canada, a nation with a mix of experience and youth of whom three of the top four ranked singles players are three of the top four ranked doubles players as well.
TEAM:
#12 Denis Shapovalov
#14 Milos Raonic
#21 Felix Auger-Aliassime
#61 Vasek Pospisil
Canada sits sixth on the overall Davis Cup rankings, and reached the final in the previous Davis Cup, going down to the might of Spain. Along the way they defeated huge nations in Italy, USA, Australia and Russia, all of whom have Top 20 players at their disposal, showing just how much the North American nation had improved. Possibly most impressive was the fact they did it without their then top-ranked player Milos Raonic who was out injured.
Raonic would be a monty fo a singles spot in the side, providing consistency and power to the team, as well as experience to settle down the other players. Vasek Pospisil is capable of stepping up and playing singles where required, and would do so against teams with lower ranked second players. Still on the comeback trail himself, Pospisil could play doubles as well, with either Denis Shapovalov or Felix Auger-Aliassime.
Shapovalov is now the top ranked Canadian and deserves the chance to join Raonic in the singles, though would most likely team up with Auger-Aliassime in the doubles. The youngest member of the team in Auger-Aliassime is an incredibly handy third option to have for the singles. Though inconsistent at this stage, he is one with a bright future and will be included in the Davis Cup side when fit.
The options drop off a little after that, but 25-year-old Brayden Schnur might be one who steps up against lowly ranked nations, while Peter Polansky is a veteran who could be the spare doubles player, having played more doubles tournaments in 2020 than any other Canadian. One thing is for sure though, Canada is in good hands for the future with Shapovalov and Auger-Aliassime leading the charge.
Picture: Tennis Canada
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