Finland stuns defending champion Canada, reaches Davis Cup semis

Finland caused an upset by defeating defending champion Canada, securing their spot in the Davis Cup semifinals for the first time. The 14th-ranked Finnish team triumphed over No. 1 Canada in the quarterfinals held in southern Spain, with Otto Virtanen and Harri Heliovaara emerging victorious against Alexis Galarneau and Vasek Pospisil in the decisive doubles match with a score of 7-5, 6-3.

Otto Virtanen played a crucial role in keeping Finland in the running by winning the second singles match against Gabriel Diallo, while Milos Raonic initially gave Canada the lead by defeating Patrick Kaukovalta. This win is a historic achievement for Finland, who previously had only made three appearances in the World Cup playoffs.

Notably, Canada’s Felix Auger-Aliassime and Finland’s Emil Ruusuvuori were sidelined due to injury, impacting the quarterfinal match. Raonic, a former world No. 3, dominated the opening match with a strong performance, but Finland ultimately evened the tie with a stellar performance from Virtanen in the singles and doubles.

Excitement continues to build as Australia, the Czech Republic, Italy, the Netherlands, and Great Britain face off in the upcoming quarterfinal matches, with the highly anticipated semifinals set to take place with the winner being crowned on Sunday.