Davis Cup drama as Great Britain progress after umpire struck in face by Canada’s Denis Shapovalov
Great Britain reached the quarter-finals of the Davis Cup in bizarre fashion after Canada teenager Denis Shapovalov was defaulted from the decisive match for smashing the ball into the umpire’s face in temper.
British No2 Kyle Edmund had just broken serve and was leading 3-6, 4-6, 1-2 when Shapovalov lost his cool and in a fit of rage struck the ball towards the stands, only for it to accidentally strike Arnaud Gabas and badly bruise his eye.
No amount of apologies could save the 17-year-old Wimbledon junior champion and Britain progressed from their World Group first-round tie in Ottawa. Leon Smith’s side face a trip to France in the last eight in April.
“It was a strange way to finish,” said Edmund. “I’ve never been part of something like that. I was pleased how I was going about the match, I improved a lot from the last match.
“On paper, I had an advantage but you don’t play on paper, you play on a hard court. Anything can happen in the Davis Cup, so I’m very pleased.”
Great Britain captain Smith said: “It is a surprise what happened at the end there and it is a shame. I feel for the young lad. He’s a great talent and he has learned a hard lesson.
“But Kyle, from what we saw on Friday to today, was fantastic. How he prepared, how he took command, his unbelievable serving and how he kept the pressure on the turns. It was a great performance.”
While team-mates rallied around the distraught Shapovalov, Canada’s captain Martin Laurendeau insisted the youngster must learn to display emotional control.
“There’s always a lesson to be learned from the good moments and the worst moments,” said Laurendeau. “If he wants to compete at this level he has to keep it together.”
The contest was sent to a deciding rubber by Vasek Pospisil beating stand-in British No1 Dan Evans, the surprise package at last month’s Australian Open in Melbourne, 7-6 (7-3), 6-4, 3-6, 7-6 (7-5).