Canada beats France 3-1 in Quebec City to reach Davis Cup Final 8 Canada defeated France 3-1 in its Davis Cup second-round qualifier at the Videotron Centre, with Felix Auger-Aliassime clinching the tie by beating Arthur Rinderknech in three sets. Canada advances to the Davis Cup Final 8 in Bologna, Italy, in November. Canada defeated France 3-1 in its Davis Cup second-round qualifier at the Videotron Centre in Quebec City, clinching a place in the Davis Cup Final 8 in Bologna, Italy, in November. Felix Auger-Aliassime sealed the tie on Saturday with a 4-6, 7-6 (5), 6-4 comeback win over Arthur Rinderknech. The decisive victory came just 35 minutes after Auger-Aliassime walked off the court following a doubles loss alongside Duncan Chan. The world No. 5 capped a remarkable two days of tennis and played his third match in two days, having also beaten Quentin Halys in three sets on Friday. I don't really have words, said Canada captain Frank Dancevic.It is incredible for the Davis Cup, for the country to have a player like that who can play at his level, playing singles and doubles and being in shape to play three matches over two days. It is not easy. Auger-Aliassime fired 17 aces and committed just one double fault in his two-hour, 21-minute victory over Rinderknech, winning his 10th consecutive Davis Cup singles match. He now owns a 15-5 record in the competition.Rinderknech took the opening set after breaking Auger-Aliassime in the ninth game, but the Canadian responded by taking the second-set tiebreak after falling behind 3-0. Another ninth-game break proved decisive in the final set. I told myself to stay calm, Auger-Aliassime said of serving for the match. The fans were celebrating as if the match was already over.There was still a game left to be played. Rinderknech credited Auger-Aliassime for coming through when it mattered most. Felix is a really great player, Rinderknech said. He proved today why he is so difficult to beat.I knew I was capable of beating him. I have done it before. It just did not go my way today. Auger-Aliassime opened Saturday's schedule in doubles with Chan, falling to French veterans Benjamin Bonzi and Pierre-Hugues Herbert 7-6 (4), 6-3.The French pair saved a set point before taking the opening-set tiebreak and then secured the lone break of the second set in the eighth game. They were serving incredible, Chan said. I really could not get comfortable on the return because they were just stretching me, putting away everything and not making any mistakes. Canada had taken a 2-0 lead on Friday.Auger-Aliassime delivered in his first Davis Cup match in Quebec City, beating Halys 7-6 (5), 4-6, 6-3. He fired 12 aces and took advantage of six double faults from Halys in front of 10,633 mostly partisan fans. It is a big relief, Auger-Aliassime said. There are a lot of emotions after so much anticipation for this match over many months.It is a great way to begin, but it is just the start. Canada took the opening point of the tie earlier Friday when Liam Draxl produced a major upset, defeating world No. 31 Arthur Rinderknech 6-2, 7-5. Draxl, a Newmarket, Ont. , native ranked outside the top 200, played aggressively from the outset and earned his fourth Davis Cup singles victory in as many appearances.I am just super proud of how I managed myself out there, getting the crowd into it and handling the big points appropriately, Draxl said. I really went for it. Dancevic added that Draxl's performance could have significance beyond the Davis Cup tie. Liam has had some really good matches in the past couple years, but today he really showed his worth and the level he can play, Dancevic said.From the first point to the last point, he had unbelievable energy. He played great tennis. It is great for us because we won, but it is also great for him to show that he can beat these players. It is something that can give him confidence for his career.France faced a difficult task, needing to win three consecutive matches Saturday to capture the tie. It is the worst-case scenario that we could have tonight, France captain Paul-Henri Mathieu said. There is disappointment in trailing 2-0. The guys gave everything they had on the court.Auger-Aliassime's efforts were not lost on the opposition. It is not easy to play singles Friday, commit to playing doubles and then returning to play singles afterward, Mathieu said. We have to give him credit. The defeat marked France's first Davis Cup loss to Canada in four meetings.The 10-time champions also failed to reach the Final 8 for the sixth time in the last seven years. Canada, meanwhile, will make its return to the Davis Cup Final 8 for the first time since 2024. The victory capped an especially significant weekend for Auger-Aliassime, who was playing Davis Cup competition for the first time in two years and in his home province for the first time. The 26-year-old has close ties to the area.His father, Sam, operates a nearby tennis academy where Auger-Aliassime spent much of his childhood training. It carries a lot of significance for me, Auger-Aliassime said. Yes, we will probably remember our level or the ups and downs of the match, but I think we will remember more the emotions we lived through as a team. The Quebec crowd made its presence felt.A total of 22,340 fans attended over the two days, establishing a new Canadian Davis Cup attendance record and surpassing the previous mark of 21,842 set over three days in Ottawa in 2017. The Canadian crowd and the fans in Quebec have no ego or jealousy when it comes to supporting their sports heroes, Auger-Aliassime said. Wherever I go, when I see Canadians, there is always a positive word said to me.It is the energy you want as a tennis nation and a community. Auger-Aliassime also remains hopeful this weekend's tie will have long-term ramifications for the sport, both provincially and nationwide. The goal of hosting the Davis Cup is to inspire tennis players, young and old and to allow tennis to shine on a large stage, he said. I hope that a tie like this will have an even greater impact.It is about more than two days of tennis. If it can inspire a youngster to play tennis, go to university because of tennis or become a professional, it would be magnificent. The tie was played on Friday, Sept. 18, 2026, and Saturday, Sept. 19, 2026.Quebec City's Videotron Centre was transformed from a hockey arena into a tennis court for the international men's tennis event on Sept. 18 and 19, the first event of its kind in the city since 1974. The transformation was not an easy task, but it fit in with the city's ambitions around its reputation and spending patterns. For Auger-Aliassime, the weekend was about more than the end result.It was also about the people who came out to experience it alongside them. We are witnessing a successful time period for tennis in Canada, he said. I am happy that people are coming to encourage us during these moments. I felt it all throughout the weekend.No matter what was happening on the court, throughout the ups and downs, the crowd was with us.