Denis Shapovalov headlines Canada's Davis Cup squad
Rookie tennis sensation joins veteran squad for Edmonton tie with India
Denis Shapovalov, fresh off a stunning summer on the pro tennis circuit where he defeated Rafael Nadal at the Rogers Cup and beat Jo-Wilfried Tsonga at his first U.S. Open, was selected to represent Canada at the upcoming Davis Cup World Group playoff tie against India in Edmonton.
The 18-year-old joins veterans Vasek Pospisil, Daniel Nestor, and Brayden Schnur for the Sept. 15-17 tie at Northlands Coliseum.
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This will be Shapovalov's third Davis Cup tie for Canada. His previous appearance against Great Britain ended in a default after the Richmond Hill, Ont., native hit the umpire with an errant ball. Shapovalov was later fined $7,000 for the incident, adding that he felt "ashamed for my unprofessional behaviour."
"For him, that February incident is very far behind him," Canadian captain Martin Laurendeau told a conference call Tuesday. "He's had a lot of pressure situations since and he's shown how he's improved and how he can manage his emotions through the ups and downs of a match.
"He's been doing that ever since."
Canada currently holds the No. 16 position in the Davis Cup rankings, two spots ahead of India. This will be their first meeting in Davis Cup competition.
Shapovalov currently holds the No. 69 position on the ATP Tour's singles rankings. Pospisil is ranked 78th, Schnur holds the No. 192 spot and Nestor is ranked 42nd in doubles.
India will be represented by world No. 155 Ramkumar Ramanathan, No. 158 Yuki Bhambri, No. 490 Saketh Myneni, and doubles world No. 17 Rohan Bopanna.
The loser of the tie will fall into Group I of the regional zones, one step below the top tier.
with files from Canadian Press