Canada out of medal contention at rugby World Cup
DUBLIN — Canada will not have a chance at a medal at the women’s rugby World Cup after losing 48-5 to New Zealand on Thursday in its final Pool A game.
Only the three pool winners and the top second-place team advance to the final four. Canada finished second in Pool A with nine points, and its fate was sealed when the United States finished second in Group B with 11 points following a 47-26 loss to defending champion England.
The Canadians, who were silver medallists at the 2014 World Cup, will play in Tuesday’s consolation round.
“New Zealand is physically stronger, tactically stronger and technically stronger,” Canadian head coach Francois Ratier said. “When you face a better team, there’s not much else to say. The Black Ferns played better than us and they deserve the victory. Now, we’ll get some fresh blood in the lineup and prepare the future.”
Front-rower Aldora Itunu scored three tries for the Black Ferns, while Selica Winiata, Kelly Brazier, Stacey Waaka, captain Fiao’o Fa’amausili and Renee Wickliffe each scored once.
“This was the team we were waiting for and we wanted to shut them down early,” said Fa’amausili. “I’m proud of my girls. It was a massive team effort but full credit to Canada, they came out firing from the start. I’m pleased with where we’re at but there’s still a lot of work to do.”
Jacey Grusnick of Alliston, Ont., scored Canada’s lone try of the match.
“The Ferns came out hard and we left everything out there but our discipline ... you can’t drop the ball like we did,” Canada captain Kelly Russell said. “It wasn’t good enough today.”
Canada, third in the world rankings, hadn’t allowed a try in their first two games against Hong Kong and Wales, outscoring its opposition 113-0. But the Black Ferns provided to be a different challenge and the Canadians never found their footing.
New Zealand finished the preliminary round atop the Pool A standings with 15 points.
Canada’s record against the Black Ferns dropped to 0-14.
MONTREAL — Rising Canadian tennis star Denis Shapovalov knows not every week will replicate the magic of his Rogers Cup semifinal run.
The 18-year-old shot from 143rd to 67th in the ATP singles rankings following last week’s tournament, but said he still needs to improve before he’s consistently at the top level.
“It was one incredible week but I still feel like I’m the same guy I was when I was (ranked) 140 and I have a lot of work to do to secure my spot in that position and keep moving forward,” he told a news conference in Montreal on Thursday before he heads to New York to play in next week’s U.S. Open qualifying tournament.
The left-handed teen from Richmond Hill, Ont., introduced himself to Canada last week with an exhilarating performance that included a victory over top-seeded Spanish legend Rafael Nadal.
The Canadian lost in the semifinals to eventual winner Alexander Zverev but still pocketed a cool $279,797 in prize money.
Shapovalov heads to the U.S. Open with high confidence, but few expectations.
“Right now I have a lot of belief in myself, and anyone I go on the court against in the (qualifiers) I feel I have a chance to beat them,” he said, but added just a moment later that an early defeat is also possible.
“Anyone, on a given day, can play really well. I’ve proven that, a lot of guys are proving that, so it’s not going to be easy but I love a challenge,” he said.
Shapovalov is the youngest player ever to reach the semifinals of a Masters Series tournament, one level below the Grand Slams.
He is also the lowest-ranked player to reach a Masters semifinal since Andrei Pavel (191st) in 2003.
Moving forward, he said he would mix playing top-level ATP tournaments with lower-tier Challenger events as he works on developing his skills and consistency.
Earlier on Thursday, Shapovalov spent an hour and a half running through drills during a practice session with coach Martin Laurendeau.
He jogged a few warmup laps around the court and stopped to sign a baseball hat for some young fans before picking up a racket and getting down to work.
The lanky, blonde-haired teen appeared relaxed despite the presence of numerous media outlets.
At one point, Laurendeau gently chided his young star for rushing the net too quickly.
“You’re like a cheetah. A cheetah is quick in a straight line but can’t change direction,” he said.
Later, Shapovalov said one of the goals of the practice was to improve his volleys after “missing quite a lot” during the Rogers Cup.
“I had one good week but it’s back to work now,” he said.
The U.S. Open qualifying tournament begins next week and the main draw gets underway Aug. 28.