Davis Cup: Canada to take on Belgium

Fellow Canadians who are possibly out there reading this, grab your poutine and timbits and get ready for Canada’s upcoming Davis Cup quarterfinal tie versus Belgium.

This quarterfinal bout will be held from July 17-19 on the clay courts of Sportpark Krokodiel in Middelkerke (Ostend), Belgium.

Canada and Belgium are meeting for just the second time in Davis Cup action. The last time these two squads met was more than 100 years ago in 1913. Canada did beat Belgium 4-0, but this is ancient history.

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In the present time, it will be an uphill battle for this unbalanced Canadian team. The squad is left without its two highest ranked singles players – No. 9 Milos Raonic and No. 29 Vasek Pospisil.

Despite an impressive quarterfinals run at Wimbledon in singles, Pospisil is better known for his exceptional double skills. He’s currently ranked No. 5 in doubles with a Grand Slam title to his name.

Unfortunately for Canada, its highest ranked singles players withdrew just weeks prior to the tie with nagging injuries.

Now, Belgium has the opportunity to steamroll through to the semifinals for the first time in more than 15 years. In March, the fairly young squad dismissed reigning champion Switzerland, who were conveniently missing its biggest guns as well.

Belgium undoubtedly has the upper hand in singles. Three of Belgium’s team nominations possess single rankings within the Top 100 – No. 14 David Goffin, No. 76 Steve Darcis and No. 95 Ruben Bemelmans. For Canada, the highest singles ranking is 272, held by Frank Dancevic.

The draw has revealed some interesting match-ups. Take a look:

Belgium Canada

R1: S. Darcis (95) v. F. Dancevic (272)

R2: D. Goffin (14) v. F. Peliwo (491)

R3: R. Bemelman (189)/ K. Coppejans (921) v. D. Nestor (24)/ A. Shamasdin (65)

R4: D. Goffin (14) v. F. Dancevic (272)

R5: S. Darcis (95) v. F. Peliwo (491)

First-time nomination Filip Peliwo has seemingly been chosen as a sacrificial lamb of some sort. He’s slotted against Goffin, who hit a career high No. 14 ranking on Monday.

The former world No. 1 junior from Canada has struggled to break through on the big boy tour since turning pro in 2013. He’ll have to play deliriously out of his mind if he hopes to make a dent on the more-established Goffin. Despite being sacrificed for (hopefully) the greater good of his team, this will give him a significant boost in Technifibre’s Young Guns On The Road contest.

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Dancevic will also struggle with his singles opponent in the first round bout. The 30-year-old from Niagara Falls, Ont., has squared off with Darcis twice previously, dropping both matches in straight sets. The former Top 100-ranked Canadian will have to channel the same form that helped him topple Marcel Granollers, who was ranked 132 places ahead of Dancevic at the time of the match, in last year’s win over Spain.

Canada’s best hope for a securing a win on the scoreboard lies with the doubles team of Daniel Nestor and Adil Shamasdin, who outrank Belgium’s doubles nominations significantly.

As a former world No. 1 in doubles, Nestor is a seasoned veteran with 32 Davis Cup wins under his belt. His partner for this tie, Shamasdin, is a newcomer to this event but holds a notable No. 65 ranking in doubles.

After a massive win over Japan in March, it’s disappointing to watch a severely depleted Canadian squad go up against a beatable team. However, I stand by my country and all its maple syrupy glory, so I’ll be cheering for them regardless. Go Canada!

Next: Davis Cup: Great Britain v France Quarter Final Preview

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