Canada has successfully moved on to the 2026 Davis Cup Qualifiers, securing a commanding 3-0 lead against Israel in a best-of-five matchup held in a vacant Halifax arena amidst ongoing protests.
Liam Draxl from Newmarket, Ontario, teamed up with Calgary’s Cleeve Harper to stage a comeback, overcoming a set deficit to triumph over Jordan Hasson and Ofek Shimanov with a score of 5-7, 6-0, 6-4 in the opening match of Saturday.
With Draxl and Montreal’s Gabriel Diallo clinching singles victories on Friday, the doubles win solidified Canada’s progression out of the World Group 1 stage into next year’s qualifiers for the prestigious Davis Cup tournament.
With the victory secured, Canada opted to substitute world No. 35 Diallo with Harper for a singles face-off against Orel Kimhi, while Draxl was slated to complete the tie against Daniel Cukierman.
Tennis Canada made the decision earlier in the week to hold the matches behind closed doors, citing safety concerns raised by local authorities and security personnel.
On Saturday, the streets surrounding Halifax Common were temporarily closed as hundreds of protestors rallied, chanting and waving placards opposing Israel’s actions in Gaza and the West Bank.
A group led the demonstration with a banner crafted from a tennis net bearing the message “Don’t play ball.”
Some protesters criticized Halifax Mayor Andy Filmore for permitting the event to proceed, voicing their concerns during Friday’s matches as well.
Approximately 400 Canadian athletes and scholars, including Olympic runner Moh Ahmed, had previously urged Tennis Canada to cancel the event.
The Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs expressed disappointment over the decision to close the event to fans, labeling the protesters as extremists who silenced “thousands of fans … eager to show pride in their nation.”
This past August, a leading global authority on food crises declared famine in Gaza City following months of alerts from aid organizations indicating that Israeli restrictions on food and aid were leading to starvation among Palestinian civilians.
Earlier this month, the largest professional association of scholars focused on genocide stated that Israel is committing acts of genocide in Gaza.
With contributions from The Associated Press and Darren Calabrese in Halifax.
