Canada to face Spain in the first round of Davis Cup next year – Tennis News
Canadians have got a tough Davis Cup draw for the next season, as they will take on the mighty Spaniards in the first round of the team championships in 2013.
Spain has won the Davis Cup title five times in the last 12 years and three times in the last four. The European country, which is led by one of the best players in the history of the sport, Rafael Nadal, is considered unbeatable
on its home soil but it is also formidable at the away ties.
Canada barely avoided relegation from the World Group and Spain is already in the final of this year’s edition. The Spaniards will face Czechs at the latter’s home but they are still favourite to win their sixth title, as there
are bright chances that Nadal would be back in the Spanish team for the final.
One advantage that the Canadians have is that they will take on the Spaniards on their home soil. Commenting on the draw, Canadian captain, Martin Laurendeau, said during a press conference, "Spain is a tough team, but when you
are in an elite group of 16 countries every team is going to be tough. We want to be the first Canadian team to ever win a World Group tie and we will continue to work towards that for February. We get to host them in Canada, in front of our home crowd and
we will use that to our advantage and are really looking forward to this opportunity."
He added, "The Spaniards win everything from clay to grass, to indoors to outdoors. They're good and they have the depth to really not be fooled by any kind of surface."
They had a tough draw this year too, as they faced the Jo-Wilfried Tsonga led nine-time former champion, France, in the first round. The result was as expected, with the Frenchmen beating the Canadians 4-1 on the latter’s soil.
Only Milos Raonic, who has recently become the highest ranked player from his country in its history, managed to win a match and avoided his team from complete embarrassment.
Canada had the threat of getting relegated from the World Group, as they took on South Africa in the play off tie. However, they were favoured but the absence of number one player of South Africa, Kevin Anderson. Canada comfortably
defeated the African nation 4-1 to conform its place in the World Group for next year’s edition.
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