World No. 14 Denis Shapovalov threw light on his great journey with Felix Auger-Aliassime after winning their semi-final match of the ATP Cup. He claimed that he felt "incredible" to share some great moments with Auger-Aliassime. Having "grown together," Shapovalov admitted that the two have "lifted each other up" in recent years.
Auger-Aliassime and Shapovalov led Canada to the finals of the ATP Cup 2022 by defeating the pair of Daniil Medvedev and Roman Safiullin. They ensured a 2-1 victory over the defending champions, Russia.
In the post-match interview, Shapovalov revealed that the "spectacular" chemistry of their squad separates them from the rest of the teams. He also emphasized that both he and Auger-Aliassime support and complement each other, which helps them improve their gameplay.
“Felix and I have grown together, we have been through all the categories to get here, so it is incredible to share every moment with him. The chemistry of the whole team is spectacular. We all get along well, I would say much better than most teams, which is great for us. I think this is what makes us resist at certain times," said Shapovalov.
Interestingly, Shapovalov and Auger-Aliassime have been childhood friends, starting to learn tennis almost at the same time. They have even faced each other in the juniors category.
"Both Felix and I have lifted each other up, against Great Britain he played great in the singles, and I [am] not so much, there it was his turn to cheer me on in the doubles," added the Canadian star.
"I believe in myself and I believe in Felix" - Denis Shapovalov ahead of the ATP Cup 2022 finals
Canada will be encountering Spain in the finals of the ATP Cup 2022. However, the Spanish team will miss the experience of Rafael Nadal in the finals, who has reached the final of Melbourne Summer Set.
In the same interview, Shapovalov hailed Spain's Pablo Carreno Busta, saying that he is "super solid" and "serves really well." According to the Canadian star, Busta, who will be facing him in the finals, will prove to be a big "challenge" for him.
However, Shapovalov also remarked that he believes in himself and Auger-Aliassime. He stressed he is quite confident ahead of the ATP Cup 2022 finals against Spain.
“Carreño is a great player, he is super solid. Obviously he likes hard courts, he likes to dictate the points and he serves very well, so it will be quite a challenge to face him. I feel confident, I believe in myself and I believe in Felix. The whole team is going to give everything, I hope it will be enough," stated Shapovalov.
It will be intriguing to see if Canada seeks revenge on Spain for their Davis Cup 2019 defeat on Sunday.
Also Check Out: Updated ATP Cup 2022 Results