Jakarta (ANTARA) – Denis Shapovalov and Felix Auger-Aliassime led Canada to win their first 2022 ATP Cup title after beating Spain in the men's singles final in Sydney on Sunday.
Shapovalov began his journey to the top on Sunday with an aggressive performance, defeating Pablo Carreno Busta 6-4, 6-3 to give Canada a 1-0 lead in the men's team tournament with a prize pool of US$10 million .
World number 11 Auger-Aliassime secured victory for Canada after defeating Roberto Bautista Agut 7-6(3), 6-3.
Also read: Spain beat Poland en route to 2022 ATP Cup final
Canada had already lost to the United States in the group stage and had to lose its first match against England.
But Félix Auger-Aliassime and Shapovalov brought Canada back with wins over England, Germany and last year's champions Russia.
“The feeling is incredible. “There is nothing better than winning… We recovered from a tough defeat in this competition, losing the first four games, but we never stopped believing in it,” said Auger-Aliassime.
“We trust each other…to achieve perfect results.”
Also read: Canada beats Russia en route to inaugural 2022 ATP Cup final
Carreno Busta arrived at Ken Rosewall Arena in Sydney with confidence, having not lost a set all week at the ATP and leading 4-1 in his head-to-head with Shapovalov.
But the 22-year-old left-hander Shapovalov defended with a multitude of break chances, including five in the first game before finally sealing the victory in an hour and 38 minutes and giving Canada a 1-0 lead.
“I'm a little nervous. Obviously I have a tough record against Carreno Busta, so I know this match will be tough,” Shapovalov said.
Meanwhile, Spain finished runners-up in the ATP Cup for the second time after their last loss to Serbia in the 2020 final, according to Reuters.
Also read: Shapovalov paves the way for Canada's quick victory in ATP Cup semi-finals
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