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Canada is just one win away from advancing to the Davis Cup World Group round-robin in September after sweeping the opening singles towards South Korea on Friday on the Nationwide Tennis Centre at Jarry Park.
Montrealer Gabriel Diallo opened the best-of-five sequence with a 6-4, 6-4 win over Kwon Quickly-woo and Vasek Pospisil defeated Hong Seong-chan 6-4, 6-3.
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The sweep means Canada should win solely considered one of three matches Saturday to return to the 16-nation round-robin stage for the third consecutive yr.
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Pospisil and Laval’s Alexis Galarneau will kick off Saturday’s schedule at 2 p.m. with a doubles match towards Nam Ji-sung and Track Min-kyu. That will probably be adopted by two singles matches Diallo is scheduled to play and Pospsil is to play Kwon, however there could possibly be substitutions if the tie is set.
Diallo’s victory was essential as a result of Kwon was the wild card on this tie. His rating dropped to No. 700 after a shoulder damage sidelined him for six months final yr, however when Canada confronted Korea in 2022, Kwon upset Montrealer Félix Auger-Aliassime.
Diallo was down a service break in every set, however broke again instantly after which broke Kwon at 5-4 in every set.
Within the opening set, Kwon broke for a 3-2 lead, however he double-faulted twice within the following recreation to let Diallo again into the set. Kwon received just one level within the 10th recreation handy Diallo the set.
Kwon took a 4-3 lead within the second set after Diallo served his first double-fault on break level. Diallo drew even Within the subsequent recreation, battling again from a 40-15 deficit and profitable on his fourth break level alternative. Kwon once more took a 40-15 lead within the 10th recreation, however Diallo reeled off 4 consecutive factors, profitable the match when Kwon hit a forehand lengthy.
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“I stayed composed after he broke me as a result of my floor strokes have been stable and I had some appears on his serve,” Diallo mentioned. “I believe he let his guard down after he broke me.
“Within the second set, I knew that I had come again within the first set and I used to be assured I may do it once more. I simply needed to hold being aggressive and focus on returning his serve.”
Diallo mentioned he was on acquainted territory and was buoyed by a near-sellout crowd of two,082.
“It’s all the time a privilege to symbolize Canada, particularly right here in my neighbourhood,” Diallo mentioned. ”My house was seven minutes from right here and I performed on these courts once I was rising up.”
“I performed OK, however I couldn’t take benefit after I acquired the primary breaks,” Kwon mentioned. “My recreation plan is to get the early break however, as soon as I acquired it, I began to suppose an excessive amount of.”
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