After a day of rest, Team Canada presented by Sobeys entered Saturday’s match against Chile with their eyes set on clinching their berth in the Davis Cup Final 8 stage in Malaga, Spain. After Italy swept Chile 3-0 on Friday, the Canadians needed to win just one out of their three matches to officially qualify.
With their spot secured in the Davis Cup Final 8 stage, the pressure was slightly relieved for Canada for their last two matches of the tie. Diallo, who played lights out in his first two matches against Italy and Sweden, couldn’t go a perfect 3-0 and Canada was handed their first loss of the Davis Cup Finals group stage by Chile’s Nicolas Jarry.
Don’t fix what isn’t broken; Galarneau and Pospisil teamed up for their third doubles match of the week after winning their first two, and they kept the streak alive against Chile’s Tomas Barrios Vera and Alejandro Tabilo. The pair secured Canada their third tie victory of the week, as the team finished a collective 8-1 in their nine matches.
GALARNEAU STAYS PERFECT VS. TABILO
Galarneau jumped out to an early lead after breaking Tabilo in the sixth game to go up 4-2, but Tabilo broke him right back in the following tightly-contested game. Galarneau wasn’t fazed, immediately breaking Tabilo for a second time, and going on to win the first set 6-3.
The 24-year-old Canadian impressively fought off three set points with his back against the wall in the 10th game of the second set but prevailed to tie things up 5-5. In the eventual tiebreak, Galarneau stormed out to a 4-0 lead, and held on to win 7-5, winning the match 6-3, 7-6(5).
With the win, Canada has booked their spot in the Davis Cup Final 8 stage in Malaga, Spain in November and remain undefeated at the Davis Cup Finals group stage. Up next for Canada, Gabriel Diallo takes on Nicolas Jarry.
DIALLO COMES UP SHORT, CANADA HANDED FIRST LOSS IN BOLOGNA
Diallo, whose thunderous serve was one his strongest points so far at the Davis Cup, was immediately broken by Jarry in his opening service. Jarry was able to hold from there on out, winning 6-4 and handing Diallo his first set loss in Bologna.
The second set played out much like the first, as Jarry broke Diallo in his opening service and went on to win 6-4, winning the match 6-4, 6-4.
Despite the loss, Diallo’s spirits still appeared high as the youngster capped off an incredible week in Bologna.
GALARNEAU, POSPISIL CAP OFF NEAR PERFECT WEEK FOR CANADA
Galarneau and Pospisil jumped out to an early 3-0 lead in the opening set, and never looked back as they eventually took it 6-3. They won 82 per cent of their first serve points, and entered the second set with the goal of finishing the week undefeated in all the matches they participated in.
Both sides held their own services throughout much of the second set, until the 10th game when the Chileans had the Canadians up against the wall. With Pospisil serving, the Canadians managed to storm back by saving three set points and winning the game. In the eventual tiebreak, both sides traded points until Canada finally broke through to win 9-7, and the match 6-3, 7-6(7).
The win concludes Canada’s Davis Cup Finals group stage play, as they won all three ties and eight of their nine matches overall. Canada comes out as the winner of Group A comprised of Italy, Sweden and Chile.
Next up for Team Canada: Malaga, Spain in November for the Davis Cup Final 8 stage!
DETROIT (AP) — The Detroit Red Wings made another investment this week in a young standout, signing Moritz Seider to a seven-year contract worth nearly $60 million.
The Red Wings announced the move with the 23-year-old German defenseman on Thursday, three days after keeping 22-year-old forward Lucas Raymond with a $64.6 million, eight-year deal.
Detroit drafted Seider with the No. 6 pick overall eight years ago and he has proven to be a great pick. He has 134 career points, the most by a defenseman drafted in 2019.
He was the NHL’s only player to have at least 200 hits and block 200-plus shots last season, when he scored a career-high nine goals and had 42 points for the second straight year.
Seider won the Calder Trophy as the league’s top rookie in 2022 after he had a career-high 50 points.
Red Wings general manager Steve Yzerman is banking on Seider, whose contract will count $8.55 million annually against the cap, and Raymond to turn a rebuilding team into a winner.
Detroit has failed to make the playoffs in eight straight seasons, the longest postseason drought in franchise history.
The Red Wings, who won four Stanley Cups from 1997 to 2008, have been reeling since their run of 25 straight postseasons ended in 2016.
Detroit was 41-32-9 last season and finished with a winning record for the first time since its last playoff appearance.
Yzerman re-signed Patrick Kane last summer and signed some free agents, including Vladimir Tarasenko to a two-year contract worth $9.5 million after he helped the Florida Panthers hoist the Cup.
PENTICTON, B.C. – Vancouver Canucks goalie Thatcher Demko says he’s been working his way back from a rare lower-body muscle injury since being sidelined in last season’s playoffs.
The 28-year-old all star says the rehabilitation process has been frustrating, but he has made good progress in recent weeks and is confident he’ll be able to return to playing.
He says he and his medical team have spent the last few months talking to specialists around the world, and have not found a single other hockey player who has dealt with the same injury.
Demko missed several weeks of the last season with a knee ailment and played just one game in Vancouver’s playoff run last spring before going down with the current injury.
He was not on the ice with his teammates as the Canucks started training camp in Penticton, B.C., on Thursday, but skated on his own before the sessions began.
Demko posted a 35-14-2 record with a .918 percentage, a 2.45 goals-against average and five shutouts for Vancouver last season.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 19, 2024.
AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — No. 1 Texas will start Arch Manning at quarterback Saturday against Louisiana-Monroe while regular starter Quinn Ewers continues to recover from a strained muscle in his abdomen, coach Steve Sarkisian said Thursday.
It will be the first career start for Manning, a second year freshman. He relieved Ewers in the second quarter last week against UTSA, and passed for four touchdowns and ran for another in a 56-7 Texas victory.
Manning is the son of Cooper Manning, the grandson of former NFL quarterback Archie Manning, and the nephew of Super Bowl-winning QBs Peyton and Eli Manning.
Ewers missed several games over the previous two seasons with shoulder and sternum injuries.
The Longhorns are No. 1 for the first time since 2008 and Saturday’s matchup with the Warhawks is Texas’ last game before the program starts its first SEC schedule against Mississippi State on Sept. 28.
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