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Canada brought its “A” team to Manchester, in a pool with a Ruusuvuori-less Finland. And it also met a deep Argentine team that isn’t at its best on indoor hard courts and didn’t have Tomas Martin Etcheverry against it for the opening tie.

But both Denis Shapovalov and Félix Auger-Aliassime have looked imperious – never more so than Shapovalov, faced with a challenge in the second set of his match against Dan Evans on Sunday, fended him off to win 6-0, 7-5 and put Canada in the Davis Cup Finals.

Going into that final showdown with Great Britain Sunday, they were in good shape with Auger-Aliassime and Shapovalov both posting a pair of straight-set wins vs. Argentina and then Finland. But there was potential for a challenging experience on Sunday, as they met Great Britain.

It wass a situation tailor-made for great Brit Andy Murray. But a few years too late. He’s now retired, and his former teammates must take over.

Denis Shapovalov (ranked No. 100) against Dan Evans (ranked No. 178) in the opener was a tussle between two players who were ranked so much higher, not so long ago. Shapovalov was ranked No. 10 exactly three years ago.

Evans was at a career-high No. 21 just before last year’s National Bank Open.

It’s been three long years. And both are needing wins.

But Shapovalov was too good – and much fresher after an early exit from the US Open, while Evans had himself quite a tournament there, including the longest match in US Open history.

The Daily Drill – Davis Cup Edition

Great Britain had to sweep

Argentina swept Finland Saturday to book a spot in the finals.

So to knock the Canadians out of the finals, the Brits had to sweep the two singles and the doubles against Canada.

It was always a tall order.

With the neutral venues, great atmosphere has been hard to find.

But with Great Britain being at “home” in Manchester, and so much on the line, there was a full house and overwhelming support, with some Canadians in town to try to make as much noise as they can.

The Daily Drill – Davis Cup Edition

A ton of subtext

Shapovalov and Evans, who were 2-2 head to head, first met all the way back in 2017, in the first round of Davis Cup in Ottawa.

Shapovalov was still 17, and playing Davis Cup. Evans beat him 6-3, 6-3, 6-4.

He looked outmatched in that one, his first live Davis Cup rubber and at home. But the captain was Martin Laurendeau, who was also his personal coach at the time. And with Milos Raonic not in the lineup, Shapovalov was selected over the generally overlooked, but far more experienced, Peter Polansky.

Polansky was ranked No. 122 at the time, near his career best. Shapovalov was on the comeup, but outside the top 250.

It turned out to be FAR too much of an occasion for the kid. And that moment lives on in infamy.

That was the tie that Great Britain won 3-2, when Shapovalov – down 3-6, 4-6, 1-2 in the fifth and deciding rubber – fired that tennis ball that nailed chair umpire Arnaud Gabas in the eye, leading to his default to Kyle Edmund and Great Britain’s win.

The last time FAA and Draper met …

After that first match – assuming the tie is still alive – Félix Auger-Aliassime and Jack Draper will meet for the first time since their … dramatic moment in Cincinnati, with the foul shot at the tail end of a marathon match with a spot in the quarterfinals at stake.