October 27, 2024

Open Court

MORE TENNIS THAN YOU'LL EVER NEED

Canada’s walking wounded nominated for Davis Cup tie in Montreal

SYDNEY, Australia – The Davis Cup merry-go-round begins again in just a month’s time, as Canada hosts Korea in Montreal.

But the 2022 champions, who weren’t able to repeat last fall in Spain, will once again not be at full strength.

If anything, the four-man squad nominated Friday to represent would fill an infirmary ward at the moment.

Félix Auger-Aliassime, who has had some bumps in the road as he tries to return from a knee issue that compromised his 2023 season, isn’t on the list for the tie, which will be played Feb. 2-3, indoors at the Omnium Banque Nationale site’s Stade IGA.

He’s entered in an ATP 250 tournament in Montpellier, France that week.

Of the four who made the list, only Montreal’s Gabriel Diallo seems to be in full health.

Diallo, who reached the semifinals of a Challenger in Canberra this week, will play the Australian Open qualifiers next week in Melbourne.

Auger-Aliassime finally got on court this week in Sydney, in Team Canada’s final United Cup match in mixed doubles. He’s not on the nomination list for Davis Cup next month.

Laval’s Alexis Galarneau, who was due to play both the United Cup and the Australian Open qualifying, withdrew from both as he continues to heal what’s believed to be a wrist issue.

Vancouver’s Vasek Pospisil, his ranking down to No. 437, hasn’t played since last October as he wrestles with a UCL injury in his right arm. He is scheduled to play some Challengers at Indian Wells later this month.

Milos Raonic, who was a surprise add for last year’s finals, also isn’t on the list.

The 33-year-old had planned to start his 2024 season in Hong Kong before moving on to the Australian Open with a protected ranking. But he withdrew from Hong Kong, so his immediate future seems a little bit in doubt.

On the good news side, Denis Shapovalov was nominated to return to Davis Cup, as he gets back on court after missing six months with a persistent knee injury.

Shapovalov, who got a late-in-the-day wild card into the Auciland ATP tournament this week after originally being in the qualifying, hasn’t played since WImbledon in early July 2023.

Kwon on the practice court in Adelaide exactly a year ago, before he played Vasek Pospisll in the qualifying. He’s barely played since.

Auger-Aliassime was on the team for the finals in Spain in November. But he didn’t play.

In Canada’s favour will be home-court advantage, and the fact that the Korean No. 1 is their neighbour in the tennis infirmary.

Kwon Soonwoo, the 26-year-old whose career high of No. 52 came a little over two years ago and is a quality player, has also been on the shelf.

He didn’t play from February a year ago through to the US Open. And while he showed for Korea’s three group-stage Davis Cup ties in Valencia last September, he only won one set in three matches and hasn’t played since.

Down to No. 196 in the rankings, he’s entered in both singles and doubles at the Australian Open with a protected ranking. But he hasn’t played anything leading up to it.

The Koreans only have one other player in the top 350 – Hong Seongchan at No. 273.

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