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Canada is favoured to beat South Korea in Davis Cup action at Jarry Park this weekend despite the absence of its top two players, Félix Auger-Aliassime and Denis Shapovalov.
“The players are free to play wherever they choose,” Canadian captain Frank Dancevic said at a press conference Tuesday. ”They have contributed to our success in the past, but we have depth which allows us to compete without them.”
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Auger-Aliassime and Shapovalov led Canada to its first Davis Cup title in 2022, but this week they are slugging away at an ATP event in Montpelier — France not Vermont. Without them, Dancevic is expected to rely on Quebecers Gabriel Diallo and Alexis Galarneau and doubles specialist Vasek Pospisil.
He also has Milos Raonic, a former top-10 player whose booming serve would be at home on the hard surface inside the National Training Centre. Raonic returned to action last spring after missing two years because of injuries. In his only match this year, he retired in the first round of the Australian Open against Alex De Minaur with an apparent hip injury.
“I haven’t decided which players to use in the singles,” Dancevic said. “We’ll see how things go in practice, who’s playing well, who matches up against certain players.”
Diallo and Galarneau stood up last fall when Canada qualified for the eight-nation final. In the key preliminary matchup against eventual champion Italy, Diallo upset Lorenzo Musetti and Galarneau beat Lorenzo Sonego.
Diallo is ranked No. 132 on the ATP Tour and Galarneau is No. 211. The top-ranked Korean player is Seongchan Hong at 224, but the wild-card in the mix is Soon-woo Kwon, who was ranked as high as 58 before he encountered numerous injuries. He is currently No. 700, but Dancevic recalled that Kwon beat Auger-Aliassime in a Davis Cup match in 2022.
The best-of-five competition begins Friday, with two singles matches (3:45 p.m., CBC). On Saturday, play begins with a doubles match followed by two singles matches.
The winner will advance to one of four round-robin competitions Sept. 10-15, with the top eight countries qualifying for the final-eight knockout stage, Nov. 20-25 in Malaga, Spain.
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