MADRID — Canada reached its first final in 106 years of playing Davis Cup by beating Russia 2-1 on Saturday.
The Canadians will meet host and five-time champion Spain in Sunday’s final.
In the decisive doubles match, Canada’s Vasek Pospisil and Denis Shapovalov beat Russia’s Karen Khachanov and Andrey Rublev 6-3, 3-6, 7-6 (5).
Two-time champion Russia was trying to make it to the final for the first time in 12 years.
Rublev put the Russians ahead by defeating Pospisil 6-4, 6-4 in the first singles, and Shapovalov evened things by downing Khachanov 6-4, 4-6, 6-4.
In the doubles, the Canadians trailed 3-0 in the third-set tiebreaker but rallied and converted their second match point.
“Today was an incredible match,” Pospisil said. “I mean, the doubles, just with the buildup, obviously getting to this moment the last five days, I mean, it took a lot of emotions even just to get to this match.
“It’s pretty incredible to make the finals, first time in history for Canada. To do it the way it happened was pretty special to be a part of.”
Pospisil and Shapovalov have played all of the matches for Canada, which won Group F by defeating former champions Italy and the United States, then eliminating another former champ, Australia, in the quarterfinals. It had never beaten the U.S. or Australia in the Davis Cup.
The Canadians impressed in Madrid without two of their top three players. Milos Raonic was out with an injury, and Felix Auger-Aliassime was with the team but also injured.
The 150th-ranked Pospisil did not drop a set in singles this week until his loss to Rublev. The 20-year-old Shapovalov, No. 15 in the world, also won three of his four singles.
Russia, which won its Davis Cup titles in 2002 and 2006, also used only Khachanov and Rublev.
“It hurts of course that we lost today, but overall we gave our best,” Khachanov said. “We cannot complain that we didn’t do something.”
The 23rd-ranked Rublev won all four of his singles in Madrid, with a 2-2 doubles record.
Spain beats Britain to reach first Davis Cup final since 2012
Rafael Nadal won his singles and doubles in leading Spain to a 2-1 comeback win over Britain to put the hosts back in the Davis Cup final.
Nadal and Feliciano Lopez defeated Jamie Murray and Neal Skupski, 7-6 (3), 7-6 (8) in the decisive doubles to secure Spain its first final since 2012.
Kyle Edmund gave Britain the lead with a 6-3, 7-6 (3) win over Lopez in the first singles, then Nadal evened the semifinal by cruising past Daniel Evans 6-4, 6-0 for his 28th straight Davis Cup singles victory.
The top-ranked Nadal has won all six of his matches this week.
England did not use Andy Murray for the third straight day. The three-time Grand Slam champion won his opening singles but said he was not in his best shape.
Little separated the teams in the doubles on Caja Magica’s center court, with neither capitalizing on their break opportunities. Both sets lasted more than an hour.
Spain prevailed in both tiebreakers before a boisterous home crowd after Britain squandered four set points in the second set, including three in the tiebreaker. Spain converted on its second match point.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.