Madrid (AFP)
Russia took a 1-0 advantage over Canada in the Davis Cup semi-finals thanks to Andrey Rublev's victory over Vasek Pospisil 6-4, 6-4 in the first singles match on Saturday in Madrid.
Denis Shapovalov will try to equalize against Karen Khachanov in the second single to allow Canada to play the double decisive, under penalty of seeing Russia qualify for the final without having to play this double.
Rublev put himself on the road to victory by winning the break on the first throw of his opponent.
"This break early in the game was the key to the game," he said.
In the second run, he also quickly took Pospisil's throw, but the Canadiens came back to 3-3.
From there, the Russian has raised his level of play and finally regained the ascendancy.
"He had already beaten me so I knew it would be difficult and I would have to fight the whole game," Rublev said.
In the absence of Daniil Medvedev, he carries Russia at arm's length with Khachanov: between them, they played all the matches of their country including in double association. It's the same for Canada, where Pospisil and Shapovalov also played every game of their team.
And if Khachanov as N.1 of the team has lost two of his three singles so far, but against Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic, Rublev has only won since the start of the competition: against the Croatian Borna Gojo (6-3, 6-3), Spaniard Roberto Bautista (3-6, 6-3, 7-6), Serbian Filip Krajinovic (6-1, 6-2) and therefore Canada's Vasek Pospisil . He also won all his doubles - with Khachanov - until then against Croatia, Spain and Serbia.
© 2019 AFP