Croatia’s best tennis player Marin Čilić is not in a position to play in the first round of Davis Cup against Canada.
Croatian tennis player Borna Ćorić will open the first round of the tournament on Friday at 14:00 against Canada’s Peter Polansky in Osijek, reports Gol.hr on February 1, 2018.
Croatia coach Željko Krajan chose not to include Croatia’s best tennis player Marin Čilić on the roster for this weekend’s games. Čilić did just play in Sunday's Australian Open final against Roger Federer - the game went to five sets and Marin is still struggling with exhaustion. Both coaches have the right to make player changes before the tournament.
This will be the first match ever between Ćorić (47th in the ATP ranking), who will take over the position of Croatia’s best national team player, and Canada’s Polanski (14th in the ATP ranking).
The second match will be played between Viktor Galović, 181st in the ATP rankings, and Denis Šapovalov, the 48th best player in the world. These two have also not faced one another yet.
In the doubles matches on Saturday, Ivan Dodig (8th in the ATP ranking in doubles) and Franko Škugor (38th in the ATP ranking of doubles) will play against the Canadian combination Daniel Nestor and Vasek Pospišil. Nestor (45) is 60th in the ATP ranking of doubles, and so far has won 77 tournaments in doubles competitions, including gold at the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney.
Nestor has won seven grand slam titles in doubles and is the only tennis player who has won all four Grand Slams, all Masters Series tournaments, and the gold medal in doubles at least once. Pospišil is 266th in doubles and won the Wimbledon in doubles in 2014.
Schedule of World Cup Davis Cup Round 1 matches between Croatia and Canada:
Borna Ćorić (47.) - Peter Polansky (141.) - Friday, 14:00
Viktor Galović (181.) - Denis Šapovalov (48.) - Friday
Ivan Dodig/Franko Škugor - Daniel Nestor/Peter Polansky - Saturday, 14:00
Borna Ćorić (47.) - Denis Šapovalov (48.) - Sunday, 14:00
Viktor Galović (181.) - Peter Polansky (141.) - Sunday
