MONTREAL — Alexis Galarneau relished the chance to achieve a remarkable comeback for Canada in the heart of his hometown.
Sadly, despite his determined effort, he narrowly missed out on achieving victory.
The Laval, Quebec native faced off against Hungary’s Marton Fucsovics, ultimately losing a closely contested match with scores of 7-6 (8), 6-4 in this thrilling Davis Cup showdown on Sunday.
Fucsovics’s win in the pivotal fifth match propelled Hungary to a 3-2 triumph over Canada in the first round of the men’s team tennis tournament qualifier.
“I felt immense pride representing Canada, with the chance to seal a comeback. Overturning a 0-2 deficit to win 3-2 would have been nothing short of incredible,” Galarneau reflected, maintaining his composure. “Losing stings, but that’s the nature of tennis.”
Canada displayed resilience after trailing 2-0, following losses from Galarneau and Montreal’s Gabriel Diallo on Saturday.
Vasek Pospisil of Vernon, B.C., and Liam Draxl of Newmarket, Ont., set the tone for the day with a crucial doubles victory over Hungary’s Mate Valkusz and Peter Fajta, winning 7-6 (2), 6-4.
Next, Diallo surged to a convincing 6-1, 6-3 win against Hungary’s Fabian Marozsan in men’s singles at the IGA Stadium.
“From the outset, I anticipated a lengthy weekend, but I didn’t foresee either side going up 3-0,” remarked Canada’s team captain, Frank Dancevic. “Alexis put up an incredible fight in that final match while Fucsovics raised his game to an exceptional level.”
“I have utmost pride in my players, how they competed, and how close we came to victory. Coming back from a 2-0 deficit was no small feat, but we earned a chance to win.”
With Hungary advancing to the second round of qualifiers in September, Canada will now compete in World Group 1, needing to secure a win against an opponent to reclaim their spot in next year’s Davis Cup first round.
Canada celebrated its first-ever Davis Cup title in 2022, and has reached the quarterfinals in the following two years. Notably, this defeat marks only the second loss in Canada’s last 11 home ties.
“The Davis Cup has its ups and downs,” Dancevic noted. “Winning every year is unrealistic, unless you’re Italy, but it’s all part of the journey.”
Canada entered the contest ranked third in the Davis Cup standings, while Hungary was positioned at 22nd.
However, Canada faced challenges as key players Felix Auger-Aliassime and Denis Shapovalov were unavailable this weekend.
No. 22 Auger-Aliassime celebrated a victory at the Open Occitanie in Montpellier, France, earlier on Sunday, while Shapovalov withdrew last week due to back issues.
The top-ranked player on Canada’s roster was 23-year-old Diallo at No. 85.
“These are young athletes with limited experience on the team,” Dancevic acknowledged. “They’ve seen some action, but the Davis Cup brings a unique emotional intensity that requires skillful management, making this an invaluable learning experience.”
As the first set remained tightly contested at 3-3, Galarneau, currently ranked No. 176, fended off six break points, seizing a lead against Fucsovics, a former world No. 31.
In the tiebreak, Galarneau saved three set points, igniting “Olé, Olé, Olé” chants from the crowd of 1,760 at the cozy indoor hard court. Despite his valiant efforts, Fucsovics clinched the intense first set after 74 minutes.
Galarneau took an early 4-2 lead in the second set, yet Fucsovics countered with two back-to-back breaks. Galarneau staved off two match points in the closing game before ultimately succumbing with a backhand into the net on Fucsovics’s third opportunity.
Earlier, the 34-year-old Pospisil played what would be his final Davis Cup match, while 23-year-old Draxl made his debut.
Canada surged ahead in the first-set tiebreak, with Draxl executing a volley to cap off a 5-1 lead. Pospisil then fired an ace on set point, giving Canada a sure edge.
Pospisil showcased his prowess with a backhand return winner that broke Hungary for the first time, propelling Canada to a 2-1 advantage in the second set, which they held onto with Pospisil landing another ace on match point.
“I felt incredibly at ease playing alongside Liam,” Pospisil shared after their debut performance together. “His skill and energy were exceptional. I wouldn’t have felt as secure if he wasn’t delivering at such a high level.”
“We’ve truly formed an outstanding combination.”
Diallo entered the court eager to rectify Saturday’s loss, breaking Marozsan three times during a commanding first set before easily taking the second. He finished with an ace on match point, wrapping up the match in a swift 63 minutes.
“Yesterday’s match was incredibly challenging,” Diallo admitted. “In hindsight, I might have wished for a beer or two, but with today’s match ahead, I’ll save that for tonight, regardless of the outcome.”