TORONTO -- Canada will be without its top-ranked singles player for a Davis Cup tie later this month in Chile.
Frank Dancevic of Niagara Falls, Ont., who at No. 94 is the lone Canadian in the top 100 of the ATP singles rankings, is still suffering from a back injury that caused him to miss the team's previous tie, a 4-1 win over Mexico in Calgary.
Veterans Daniel Nestor of Toronto and Frederic Niemeyer of Sherbrooke, Que., will lead the team at the April 11-13 Americas Zone Group I series in Santiago. The Canadian team also includes Peter Polansky of Thornhill, Ont., and Vasek Pospisil of Vernon, B.C.
The winning team will secure a World Group playoff to be played Sept. 19-21, 2008.
"We have a solid nucleus of veteran talent and young up and comers," Canadian captain Martin Laurendeau said Tuesday in a statement. "Davis Cup is a team event and the guys proved the depth of our team against Mexico."
Canada will be in tough on the red clay in Santiago. World No. 18 Fernando Gonzalez and Nicolas Massu, a former top-10 player on the ATP Tour, will lead the Chilean team.
Canada is 4-3 against Chile in Davis Cup play with three of its victories coming indoors on carpet and one coming outdoors on grass. Chile's three wins have all come on clay.
"We will have our challenges as the Chilean crowd is very tough on the opponent and they have a team with tremendous depth and top-ranking players," said Laurendeau. "We are going to have to play to our strengths, and our players are fully committed to be as ready as they can be to get a win and a chance at the World Group."
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