GB's Davis Cup Finals hopes over as Evans & Draper lose

Great Britain's Davis Cup Finals hopes are over after Dan Evans and Jack Draper both suffered defeats against a strong Canadian team.

Leon Smith's side needed to beat Canada 3-0 in Manchester to progress to November's knockout stages in Malaga.

But their fate was sealed early on Sunday, with Evans' 6-0 7-5 loss to Denis Shapovalov meaning GB will finish outside the top two in Group D.

That was followed by British number one Jack Draper losing 7-6 (10-8) 7-5 to Felix Auger-Aliassime.

Evans said afterwards he was thinking "long and hard" about ending his Davis Cup career.

Britain's captain Smith said he would talk to Evans about his Davis Cup future "in a couple of days".

"I've done it for 14 years and he has been in the majority of the squads, played huge important ties and won some amazing moments," Smith added.

Evans did not return for the doubles match, with debutant Henry Patten partnering Neal Skupski to a 7-6 (7-4) 6-4 consolation win against Gabriel Diallo and Alexis Galarneau.

Canada, the 2022 champions, advance along with Argentina, who booked their place in the final eight with a 3-0 win over Finland on Saturday.

'Sometimes you know when you've got to leave'

Dan Evans was playing his 28th Davis Cup tie for Great Britain

Evans has played 28 Davis Cup ties for Great Britain and was a substitute when they won their last title in 2015.

However, he was swept aside in the first set by Shapovalov, who silenced the 15,000-strong crowd at Manchester Arena by taking the opener in just 25 minutes.

The Briton, 34, finally got on the scoreboard when he held early in the second set but failed to make the most of two break points at 4-4.

Former world number 10 Shapovalov was able to back up a dominant first set when he struck the decisive blow at 6-5 to take his nation to the knockout stages, which will take place from 19-24 November.

"I've thought about it long and hard. I'll have to think a little more," Evans told BBC Sport.

"I love competing for my country. I've loved every minute of it but sometimes you've got to know when to leave.

"It will be a difficult decision but sometimes it's nice to give somebody else the opportunity and watch from afar."

Evans has dropped to 178th in the world rankings after opting to miss some tournaments this year to focus on playing doubles at the Paris Olympics with Andy Murray.

"His ranking has gone down so he's got a lot of things to consider - what is best for him right now and what does he need to have a successful year next year," Smith told BBC Sport.

"Whatever happens, he's been an amazing servant for us."

Frustrated Draper falls to Auger-Aliassime

Playing just nine days after his US Open semi-final defeat, Draper fended off two break points early in the first set and went toe-to-toe with Auger-Aliassime for the rest of the set.

Draper, 22, fought back from 6-3 down in the resulting tie-break, saving five set points before eventually conceding with a poor miss.

He responded by smashing his racquet furiously on the court floor which led to a leaf-blower being used to clean up the debris.

It looked promising for Draper when he broke in the first game of the second set but he was soon pegged back and paid the price when Auger-Aliassime struck again for a 6-5 lead, ultimately serving out victory with an ace.

It was Auger-Aliassime's first win over Draper in three attempts - as well as being some payback for a controversial ending to their match in Cincinnati last month.

Auger-Aliassime argued Draper had pushed the ball into the ground before it went over the net and won him the match - something the umpire ruled was a legal shot, but the Briton faced criticism for not conceding the point.

"With what happened last time, I was just trying to get redemption," Auger-Aliassime said on Sunday.

"Not to get into whether it's his fault or the referee's fault, but I had to go to bed knowing that the match wasn't finished."

Draper added: "I think it's good in tennis to have rivalries and to have situations where not all tennis players get on massively. Hopefully we have many more battles to come."

Who has made the 'Final Eight'?

The United States, who have won a record 32 Davis Cup titles, join Canada and Argentina in Malaga after qualifying with a resounding 8-1 performance.

The Americans topped Group C ahead of Germany, who won their other ties against Chile and Slovakia.

Defending champions Italy qualified before their final Group A tie against the Netherlands despite missing world number one Jannik Sinner following his US Open triumph earlier this month.

The Dutch side need to beat the Italians on Sunday to guarantee a second-place finish and reach the knockout stages.

Spain and Australia had both sealed their Final Eight places before facing each other on Sunday, but it was Spain who triumphed 2-1 to top Group B.

Analysis

Russell Fuller, BBC tennis correspondent

The GB Davis Cup team may have a new look to it next year if Evans does decide to bow out.

And the competition will also look a little different, with September's 16 team group stage reverting to eight knockout ties.

So there will not be six days of tennis in Manchester next September, but GB could still return if awarded a home draw.

The details are yet to be released but teams not offered a wildcard will need to win ties in early February and mid-September to reach the eight-team Finals, which are not sure to stay in Malaga after this year.

The changes will be popular with many players - and will largely avoid two countries battling it out in a neutral venue with little in the way of atmosphere.