Davis Cup: Canada falls to Ecuador

THE CANADIAN PRESS

TORONTO -- Frank Dancevic and Frederic Niemeyer both lost their singles matches Sunday as Ecuador defeated Canada 3-2 in a first round Davis Cup tie.

Dancevic, from Niagara Falls, Ont., fell 6-3, 5-7, 4-6, 7-6(8), 6-1 to Nicolas Lapentti in a match that lasted four and a half hours. Lapentti's win knotted the Americas Zone Group 1 tie at 2-2.

Giovanni Lapentti then beat Niemeyer of Deauville, Que., 2-6, 7-6(5), 6-3, 6-3 to secure the win for Ecuador.

Canada had a 2-1 advantage heading into the final day of play after Dancevic was triumphant in his singles rubber on Friday and Toronto's Daniel Nestor and Niemeyer captured the doubles match on Saturday.

"It's probably the worst experience of my life right now ever playing a tennis match," Dancevic said after the loss. "I had two match points in the tie-break, I had the match in my hands. I wanted to win so badly and that's why it hurts so much."

Ecuador advanced to the second round against Peru in May with both teams playing for a chance to compete in a World Group playoff. Canada will face Uruguay in July to remain in Americas Zone Group I.

Nicolas Lapentti saved three break points in the first game of the match and broke Dancevic's second service game to give him the early advantage and first set 6-3.

Lapentti and Dancevic exchanged breaks to start the second set and then held serve steadily. It wasn't until the 12th game that Dancevic was able to break Lapentti again, converting his third set point to take it 7-5.

In the third, Dancevic was finally able to overcome Lapentti's serve in the tenth game on his fourth set point to take the set 6-4.

In the fourth, Dancevic took a medical time out while up 5-4 due to a leg cramp. The set eventually went into an intense tie-break at 6-6 with long rallies which winded both players. Dancevic had two match points to clinch the tie. But Lapentti used his heavy topspin forehand and strong serve to fight back and win the tie-break 8-6.

The fifth set was all Lapentti, who used his experience and mental toughness to oust Dancevic by a score of 6-1.

"I'm used to playing long matches in my career," said Lapentti after the victory. "I was strong mentally to stay in the match. Frank is a great player, but towards the end, experience counts and I had the stamina. I've been in this situation a thousand times."