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Tennis Question Desk · Sunday

How did Canada reach the Davis Cup Final 8?

Illustrated ARCHV portrait of tennis player Félix Auger-Aliassime

Félix Auger-Aliassime won his third rubber in 2 days, beating Arthur Rinderknech in 3 sets, and Canada took the tie 3-1 in Quebec City.

Félix Auger-Aliassime beat Arthur Rinderknech 4-6, 7-6 (5), 6-4 in the fourth rubber at the Videotron Centre on Saturday, and that was the tie. Canada took it 3-1 and travel to the Davis Cup Final 8 in Bologna in November.

It was his third match of the weekend. The Canadian Press has Liam Draxl beating Rinderknech 6-2, 7-5 on Friday and Auger-Aliassime beating Quentin Halys 7-6 (5), 4-6, 6-3 to put Canada 2-0 up, then Benjamin Bonzi and Pierre-Hugues Herbert beating Auger-Aliassime and Duncan Chan 7-6 (4), 6-3 in Saturday's doubles. That sent the tie back to the singles court with France still alive.

France captain Paul-Henri Mathieu, quoted by the Canadian Press, put the load plainly: "It's not easy to play singles Friday, commit to playing doubles and then returning to play singles afterward." Canada captain Frank Dancevic called it incredible for the country to have a player who could carry singles and doubles in the same weekend.

The Canadian Press reported 22,340 spectators across the 2 days, a Canadian Davis Cup record, with 10,633 in on the Friday. Auger-Aliassime heard them. "I told myself to stay calm," he told the Canadian Press. "The fans were celebrating as if the match was already over."