MALAGA, Spain (AFP) — Three-time Davis Cup winners Germany eased into the semifinals with a 2-0 victory against Canada on Wednesday.
Jan-Lennard Struff defeated Denis Shapovalov 4-6, 7-5, 7-6 (7/5) to avenge Germany’s defeat in the 2022 quarterfinals by eventual victors Canada.
Daniel Altmaier beat Gabriel Diallo 7-6 (7/5), 6-4 in the opening singles rubber to send Germany ahead in the quarterfinal clash.
Germany, who last won the competition in 1993, will face Netherlands in the final four after they defeated Spain to bring the curtain down on Rafael Nadal’s 23-year career.
“It was a very good, tough game, Shapa was firing his serves in, first serves and second serves... he was changing directions a lot, it was tough to read the serve,” Struff said.
“The court was pretty fast so it was tough to stay calm. I managed to stay in the game and in the set.”
“We’re in the semis now, we’re very happy, let’s look forward to Friday.”
Shapovalov clinched the first set against Struff with a fine forehand winner with the only break in the 10th game.
Veteran Struff, world No. 43, was up against the ropes for much of the second set but produced a break in the 11th game before holding to force a third set.
The big-serving Shapovalov committed several double faults, with one resulting in Struff breaking for a 4-3 lead in the third set, moments after the Canadian had smashed his racquet onto the floor in frustration for losing the previous point.
Shapovalov, ranked 56th, recovered to break for 5-5 as Struff faltered when serving for the match, leading to a tie-break.
The Canadian, however, lost the match and the tie for his country with his 13th double fault.
World No. 88 Altmaier racked up a 5-0 lead in the first set tie-break against Diallo before closing it out to take the lead.
In the second set, Altmaier survived two break points in the first game and then broke himself in the 10th and final game to triumph as Diallo crumbled.
“I wish I could have brought my team the point. They counted on me to deliver and I didn’t deliver, so that’s on me,” Diallo said.
Altmaier admitted he felt extremely nervous ahead of the match.
“Definitely, the nerves were a lot, I was saying to the captain in the morning when I was warming up I was really nervous coming up to the match,” he said.
“I guess (it) helps me a lot to communicate this openly, not to hide away my nerves.”