Tennis Canada names Davis Cup team to face Dominican Republic

Dancevic, Nestor, Polansky and Raonic set to represent Canada in Toronto

Tennis Canada announced Wednesday the Miele Canadian Davis Cup team nominated to compete in the upcoming Davis Cup by BNP Paribas Americas Zone Group I second round play-off tie between Canada and the Dominican Republic.

Frank Dancevic (Niagara Falls, Ontario), Daniel Nestor (Toronto), Peter Polansky (Thornhill, Ontario) and Milos Raonic (Thornhill, Ontario) were named to the squad by captain Martin Laurendeau to compete on the outdoor hard courts at Rexall Centre in Toronto from September 17-19, 2010.

“I am very happy to have these players representing our country in Davis Cup action,” said Laurendeau. “With the recent success these men have had at major international tournaments, I believe we are naming a team that is extremely strong, full of confidence and will be determined to keep our spot in Americas Zone Group I. All four players are also from Ontario meaning they will be playing in front of an incredibly supportive crowd full of friends, family and fans.”

Dancevic is making a welcome return to the Miele Canadian Davis Cup team after missing the first tie of 2010 while recovering from back surgery. Since his return in May from a nine-month layoff, Dancevic has reached the semifinals of the $50,000 Granby Challenger and the quarter-finals of the ATP World Tour event in Newport where he fell to American Mardy Fish in three sets. Dancevic holds an impressive 9-3 singles record in Davis Cup matches played on home soil.

Nestor holds the record for most years played by a Canadian in Davis Cup at 18. He also holds the record for most wins (41), most doubles wins (26), most ties played (37) and is one-half of the best doubles team in Canada’s history with Frederic Niemeyer (12-1). Nestor and partner Nenad Zimonjic are currently the No. 2 doubles team on the ATP World Tour. The duo captured the French Open trophy earlier this year along with four other titles at Monte Carlo, Sydney, Rotterdam and Barcelona. He also reached the final at the Australian Open, Indian Wells and Madrid. He has now accumulated 69 career ATP doubles titles which ranks him first among active players. He also serves as Davis Cup coach, a role he has held since 2008.

Polansky is in his fourth year as a member of the Miele Canadian Davis Cup team. He has a 5-3 career record in Davis Cup competition, including two solid victories in home ties. Polansky has had a breakthrough second half of the 2010 season after recently capturing two wins over Top 35 players. He defeated world No. 15 Jurgen Melzer 7-6(6), 6-4 for a first round victory at Rogers Cup presented by National Bank in Toronto and followed that up with his first Grand Slam main draw win over No. 30 seed Juan Monaco at the US Open after making it through three rounds of qualifying.

Raonic is making his third official appearance on the Canadian squad but played his first live Davis Cup action earlier this year against Columbia. He fell in two close singles rubbers but captured the doubles win with Nestor as a partner. The 19-year-old had a breakthrough season last year when he became the first Canadian male to qualify for Rogers Cup presented by National Bank since 1986. He recently qualified for his first Grand Slam main draw at the 2010 US Open after winning three matches in straight sets. He also registered the biggest doubles win of his career at Rogers Cup in Toronto where he defeated world No. 1 and No. 2 Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic with fellow Canadian Vasek Pospisil.

This will be the first tie between these two countries as the Dominican Republic advanced to the Americas Zone Group I for the first time in its 21-year Davis Cup history in 2009. The winning team will keep their spot in the Americas Zone Group I for 2011 while the losing nation will be relegated to Americas Zone Group II for next year.

Fans interested in tickets for this world-class event can contact 1-877-2TENNIS (283-6647) ext. 4575 for information. Tickets start as low as $10.

Davis Cup by BNP Paribas match schedule for Canada vs. Dominican Republic
(Local and Eastern time)

Friday, September 17, 2010 11 a.m. Singles
Saturday, September 18, 2010 2 p.m. Doubles
Sunday, September 19, 2010 11 a.m. Reverse Singles