MALAGA, Spain (AP) — The Finns looked at home, surprising defending champions Canada and advancing to the Davis Cup semifinals Tuesday for the first time in history.
Otto Virtanen and Harri Heliovaara defeated Alexis Galarmeau and Vasek Pospisil, 7-6, 6-3, in the deciding doubles match to give 14th-ranked Finland a victory over top-ranked Canada in the first of the quarter-final duels in southern Spain.
Virtanen had kept Finland alive by beating Gabriel Diallo 6-4, 7-5 in the second singles match, after Milos Raonic gave Canada the first point with a 6-3, 7-5 win over Patrick Kaukovalta.
Some 3,000 fans cheered Finland at the Martín Carpena Arena in Malaga.
“We are not in Finland, but we feel like it,” Virtanen said. “I like the pressure of playing in front of these fans. This allows me to play better every time, with all the support I have. Playing for my country means everything. “Today was amazing.”
Fuengirola, a town about 30 kilometers south of Malaga, is home to the second largest Finnish expat community. Around 14 buses full of supporters made the trip.
In addition, around 1,000 Finns traveled from their country, according to local organizers.
Finland is the first Scandinavian nation to reach the Davis Cup semi-finals since Sweden in 2007.
Australia will face the Czech Republic this Wednesday, in another quarter-final match. The winner will face Finland.
On Thursday, Italy will face the Netherlands and Great Britain against Novak Djokovic's Serbia.
The semi-finals will be played on Friday and Saturday. The monarch will be crowned on Sunday.
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