Canada ripped over gift to U.S. at Davis Cup

MADRID Canada’s decision to forfeit their doubles rubber in Tuesday’s Group F clash against the U.S. at the revamped Davis Cup Finals has come under fire from rival teams.

Victories in both singles rubbers had given Canada a 2-0 lead to seal a first ever Davis Cup win over their neighbours in 16 attempts and guarantee them top spot in the group.

They then opted to concede the doubles rubber, giving the U.S. a 6-0, 6-0 victory.

“Three of the Canadian players were passed unfit to the play the doubles,” International Tennis Federation organizers said at the time.

The U.S. faces Italy later on Wednesday at La Caja Magica, with the winner of the tie finishing runner-up.

With the two best runners-up in the six groups joining the group winners in the quarter-finals, the Americans could benefit from being handed two gift 6-0 sets, should they beat Italy to finish second behind Canada.

“I personally don’t like that. I mean, that shouldn’t be allowed, to be honest,” Serbia’s Novak Djokovic said after his side’s 3-0 win over Japan in Group A on Wednesday.

“I understand that Canada is through already. They won both of their ties. Maybe some of the players like Felix (Auger-aliassime), I think he’s injured, and they wanted to rest their players for the quarter-finals and onward.

“But I just feel it’s not fair the U.S. gets 6-0, 6-0. That 6-0, 6-0 might make a big difference in the calculations for the second-best teams in the group. Everyone should be obliged to come out and play.” Britain’s Andy Murray agreed. “So where Canada may have felt that was a dead rubber, in theory, for them because they were already through, that could have implications to all of the teams potentially that might finish in second place.”