This article is more than 3 years old

This article is more than 3 years old

Great Britain won their Davis Cup tie against Canada after the teenager Denis Shapovalov was defaulted for hitting a ball into the face of the umpire, Arnaud Gabas.

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Shapovalov was trailing Kyle Edmund 6-3, 6-4, 2-1 and had just been broken in the decider when he smashed a ball in anger that struck Gabas in the eye. With Gabas holding his face in pain the referee, Brian Earley, had no choice but to rule a default.

The 17-year-old Shapovalov later apologised to Gabas, saying he was “incredibly ashamed and embarrassed”. Gabas, who had bruising to his left eye, went to hospital in Ottawa for a precautionary check-up.

“I went back and spoke to the umpire afterwards and apologised directly to him,” Shapovalov said.

“Luckily he was okay but obviously it’s unacceptable behaviour from me. I feel incredibly ashamed and embarrassed and I just feel awful for letting my team down, for letting my country down, for acting in a way that I would never want to act.

“I can promise that’s the last time I will do anything like that. I’m going to learn from this and try to move past it.”

Earlier Vasek Pospisil beat Dan Evans 7-6 (7-3), 6-4, 3-6, 7-6 (7-5). Britain move through to a World Group quarter-final in France in April.

“It is a surprise what happened at the end there and it is a shame,” the British captain, Leon Smith, told BBC Sport. “I feel for the young lad. He’s a great talent and he has learned a harsh lesson.”

Canada’s Davis Cup captain, Martin Laurendeau,, said: “I didn’t see what happened. The game was over and I just heard the crowd go silent all of a sudden. I know something was up. I looked at the referee to see what was going on and he was in the middle of it.

“He looks like he is going to be OK and that’s the priority here. I’m as surprised as anyone here. It’s a shame for sure.”