Canada to play Mexico in 2011 Davis Cup

Team Canada will travel to Mexico for first round match-up in March

The 2011 Davis Cup by BNP Paribas official draw was held on Wednesday in Brussels, Belgium. Team Canada will play an away tie versus Mexico in the first round of the Americas Zone Group I from March 4-6, 2011. Team nominations, venue and court surface will be announced at a later date.

Both Canada and Mexico are unseeded. The winning nation will travel to Ecuador from July 8-10, 2011 for a second-round tie and a chance at a World Group playoff in September.

“Our objective for 2011 will be to make it into the World Group,” said Miele Canadian Davis Cup Team Captain Martin Laurendeau. “We will now have to win two away ties, against Mexico first and then Ecuador, in order to give ourselves a chance to play for a spot in the World Group. Our team gained valuable Davis Cup experience this past year and I believe we are ready for the challenge of getting two road wins and reaching that World Group playoff.”

Canada and Mexico have met 24 times in Davis Cup action since 1946 with Mexico holding an 18-6 record. However, Canada has been victorious in four of the past five ties between the two countries including a dominant 4-1 win the last time they faced-off in 2008.

In 2010, after receiving a first-round bye, Canada was defeated by Colombia 4-1 on the road in the second round of the Americas Zone Group I. The team went on to defeat the Dominican Republic 5-0 at home in a zonal playoff allowing Canada to remain in Americas Zone Group I for 2011.

Davis Cup by BNP Paribas is the largest annual international team competition in sport with more than 130 nations competing. Only 16 countries entered in Davis Cup competition qualify for the World Group each year.