Protests outside, silence inside while Canada goes up 2-0 on Israel at the Davis Cup tie
Friday, it was a surrealist scene in Halifax when Canada launched its tennis tie from the Davis Cup against Israel behind closed doors from Scotiabank Center in Halifax.
Except for the athletes and staff of the two teams and the necessary managers, who were on the field or in the field, the place which normally contains more than 10,500 spectators was completely empty.
The creaking of tennis shoes, the slaps of the hand between his teammates and other sounds normally masked by ambient gossips were heard clear as the day on the live flow of the CBC, which had no comments.
Tennis Canada made the appeal earlier this week to keep the games without spectators or media, citing security problems which, according to him, were reported by local authorities and security agencies.
Meanwhile, around 400 demonstrators met for a brief rally next to the national historic site of Citadel Hill, where the organizer Em Bailey said that nearly 1,000 people had signed a petition opposing Israel’s participation.
“We firmly demand that the Davis Cup matches between Team Canada and Team Israel be canceled,” said Bailey, a member of the Solidarity of Palestine Halifax. “And this Israel team is suspended from the Davis Cup. We refuse to accept anti-Palestinian racism.”
The demonstrators then walked peacefully through the city center of the port city and stopped in front of the center of the Scotia bank.
Look | Diallo wins Canada’s opening match:
Gabriel Diallo of Montreal beat Daniel Cukierman of Israel 6-1, 6-2 to open the action of the group phase of the Davis Cup between the two nations at an empty stadium in Halifax on Friday.
Under a brilliant sun, many demonstrators transported Palestinian signs and flags while singing slogans and beating drums in the middle of traffic and bicycle police.
A man wrapped in a Palestinian flag waved a tennis racket that held a piece of paper with “No Sport-Washing Israel” writes on it.
And at the front of the long line of walkers, several demonstrators held a large banner with the message “Don’t Play Ball” written in large letters.
The demonstration ended with speeches outside the town hall of Halifax nearby. Other demonstrations were scheduled for Saturday.
Although there was a lot of activity outside, one could hear a pin fall inside the Scotiabank Center while Gabriel Diallo in Montreal opened the link with a 6-1, 6-2 dismantling of Daniel Cukierman of Israel.
When the six-foot Diallo eight-feet jumped and broke a winner of a forehand to take a 4-2 second set advance, a shot which would normally have taken out the fans of their seats encountered a handful of polished applause.
The atmosphere contrasts strongly with the recent American open in New York, where Canadian players took advantage of solid support from a partisan crowd.
However, Diallo said Thursday at a press conference that he would be able to adapt to the conditions, and Friday, he just did. He only needed 28 minutes to take the first set, and after Cukierman was more competitive to start the second before taking a medical time, Diallo won four consecutive games to take the opening match and give Canada a 1-0 lead.
Liam Draxl from Newmarket, Ontario, put Canada 2-0 when he beat Eagle Kimhi 7-6 (5), 6-4 to win his first single game in the Davis Cup.
Liam Draxl from Newmarket, Ontario, beats Orel Kimhi 7-6 (5) from Israel, 6-4 to give Canada an advance of 2-0 in their equality of the IT group IT of the ITF Davis Cup which takes place behind closed doors of the Scotiabank Center in Halifax.
Three games are scheduled for Saturday in the best of five, with Cleeve Harper of Draxl and Calgary against Jordan Hasson and Ofek Shimanov in a double match before Diallo faces Kimhi and Draxl take Cuikerman.
The winner will switch to the Davis 2026 Cup qualifiers.
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