Great Britain advance in Davis Cup after Canadian player is DISQUALIFIED for hitting ball at the umpire

Great Britain are through to the Davis Cup quarter-finals after Canada’s Denis Shapovalov was sensationally disqualified in the deciding match of the tie.

With the tie level at 2-2 the winner of Kyle Edmund and Shapovalov would hand victory to their country.

Edmund had claimed the first two sets, 6-3, 6-4, a secured a break to be 2-1 up in the third when the young Canadian hit a ball in frustration and struck the umpire, Arnaud Gabas, in the face.

It was clearly not intentional from the 17-year-old Wimbledon junior champion but, with Gabas holding his face in pain, tie referee Brian Earley had no choice but to rule a default and leave Britain the victors.

There were boos from the crowd at the TD Place Arena, who had earlier roared Vasek Pospisil to a 7-6 (7/3) 6-4 3-6 7-6 (7/5) victory over Dan Evans that set up the deciding rubber.

Shapovalov said: “I would like to begin by apologising to the referee (umpire) and all the officials. It’s unacceptable behaviour from me.”

Britain move through to a quarter-final in France in April.

The incident brought back memories of the 2012 final at Queen’s Club, when David Nalbandian was defaulted for kicking an advertising hoarding against the leg of a line judge.

Tim Henman, meanwhile, was defaulted at Wimbledon in 1995 after striking a ball at a ball girl.

The incident almost certainly did not change the result of the match, with Edmund in full control, but was not the way Britain wanted to win.

Captain Leon Smith said: “It’s a shame. I think we’re all pretty surprised at what just happened.

“I thought Kyle was terrific and it would have been nice for him to get over the line with a straight-sets win, which it was heading for, and a great performance.

“To finish like that, I feel sorry for Denis. He’s learned a harsh lesson today. It’s a shame for the fans that were there, it’s a shame it happened but he’ll learn I’m sure.

“The most important thing is the umpire’s okay because that can be really, really dangerous when a ball’s travelling at that speed from a pretty short distance. It’s gone straight in his eye.”

Gabas was given ice but TV pictures showed his left eye badly swollen.