Liam Draxl earns win to put Canada up 1-0 on France in Davis Cup tie

QUÉBEC — Félix Auger-Aliassime delivered in his long-awaited Quebec City homecoming, defeating Frenchman Quentin Halys 7-6 (5), 4-6, 6-3 to give Canada a 2-0 lead in its best-of-five Davis Cup second-round tie against France at the Videotron Centre on Friday. Auger-Aliassime fired 12 aces and took advantage of six double faults from Halys to secure the victory in front of 10,633 mostly partisan fans. “It’s a big relief,” Auger-Aliassime said. “There’s a lot of emotions after so much anticipation for this match over many months. It’s a great way to begin, but it’s just the start. It’s a step in the right direction, but nothing has been decided yet.” The victory improved Auger-Aliassime’s Davis Cup record to 14-4, including an 11-2 mark in singles. The world No. 5 has now won 13 consecutive Davis Cup matches, including nine straight in singles.