Pospisil propels Canada to dramatic conquest of Israel

Israel’s dreams of returning to the Davis Cup World Group after a one-year absence were shattered when Vasek Pospisil beat Amir Weintraub .

By ALLON SINAI
Amir Weintraub_311 (photo credit: REUTERS)
Amir Weintraub_311
(photo credit: REUTERS)
Israel’s dreams of returning to the Davis Cup World Group after a one-year absence were shattered on Sunday night when Vasek Pospisil beat Amir Weintraub 6-2, 7-6 (3), 6-4 in the fifth and decisive rubber to give Canada a 3-2 victory in Ramat Hasharon.
The national team entered the third and final day of the tie with a 2-1 deficit, but Dudi Sela gave the blue-and-white some hope of recording a comeback after he tied the overall score with a 6-3, 6-3, 6-3 win over Peter Polansky, who replaced a sick Milos Raonic.
However, despite Weintraub’s best efforts, Israel will spend at least one more year in Europe/Africa Zone Group I after Pospisil came up with yet another superb performance to complete Canada’s win.
The 21-year-old, ranked No. 124 in the world, spent 10 hours and 40 minutes on court over the three days, winning all three of the matches he was involved in.
“I’m very sad,” said Weintraub, who failed to convert two set points in the 10th game of the second set.
“Pospisil played amazingly. His serve gave me a lot of trouble. He kept me under pressure all the time and this is very disappointing.
“But we will be back next year in the hope of returning to the World Group once more.”
Pospisil was understandably delighted at breaking Israeli hearts.
“It’s an incredible feeling for us,” he said after almost singlehandedly leading Canada back to the World Group for the first time since 2004. “No one really deserved to lose, but we are really happy we got the win.”
Argentina beat holders Serbia 3-2 in their Davis Cup semifinal after world No. 1 Novak Djokovic retired with a rib and lower back injury against Juan Martin Del Potro on Sunday.
Del Potro was leading 7-6, 3-0 when Djokovic fell to the ground with a scream of pain and then retired, giving Argentina an unassailable 3-1 lead before Janko Tipsarevic beat David Nalbandian in the dead rubber.
“I feel very disappointed to end the tie in this way, I tried although I was only 60 percent fit and I went into the match knowing there was a risk of aggravating the injury which I first felt at the US Open,” Djokovic said.
Argentina will travel to Spain for the final after Rafael Nadal put his exertions at the US Open firmly behind him, thrashing France’s Jo- Wilfried Tsonga 6-0, 6-2, 6-4 to give the Spaniards an unassailable 3-1 lead in Cordoba before Fernando Verdasco beat Richard Gasquet 6-2 6-1 in a shortened final singles rubber.