Finland beat defending champions Canada 2-1 in quarter-finals

Canada’s bid for defending their Davis Cup title ended as Finland triumphed 2-1 to secure a spot in the last four in Malaga, Spain.

Milos Raonic, competing in his first Davis Cup in five years, initially secured the lead for Canada with a 6-3, 7-5 win over Patrick Kaukovalta.

However, Otto Virtanen equalized for Finland, defeating Gabriel Diallo 6-4, 7-5.

Virtanen and Harri Heliovaara sealed the victory for Finland by overcoming Alexis Galarneau and Vasek Pospisil in the deciding doubles match with a score of 7-5, 6-3.

Canada was hindered by the absence of top-ranked player Felix Auger-Aliassime due to a “lower body” issue, while Finnish number one Emil Ruusuvuori was also out with an injury.

Finland secured their semi-final spot for the first time in the nation’s history and will face either Australia or the Czech Republic for a chance to advance to the finals.

Great Britain’s quest for Davis Cup glory begins on Thursday with a tie against Serbia, led by Novak Djokovic in the quarter-finals. The semi-finals and finals are set to take place in the upcoming days to determine the 123-year-old men’s team event champions.