THE CANADIAN PRESS
GUAYAQUIL, Ecuador — Vasek Pospisil and Philip Bester each won reverse singles matches Sunday as Canada came back beat Ecuador 3-2 in a Davis Cup Americas Zone Group I second-round tie.
Canada, which was missing rising star Milos Raonic and veteran Frank Dancevic, was down 2-0 early in the tie, but responded with a doubles win Saturday before taking the final two games Sunday.
Canada now moves on to a World Group playoff in September against an opponent to be drawn Wednesday. Canada has not played in the elite World Group since 2004 and hasn’t made the playoffs since 2005.
"Our team made history today and I could not be more proud of these players or more proud to be Canadian than I am right now," said team captain Martin Laurendeau. "We faced such an uphill battle but the guys never gave up hope, fought for every single point and showed so much character and heart."
Pospisil, from Vernon, B.C., started the day with a decisive 6-3, 6-4, 7-5 win over Julio-Cesar Campozano, then Vancouver’s Bester captured the deciding rubber against Ivan Endara 6-2, 7-6(4), 6-4. It was a solid recovery for both Pospisil and Bester, who lost singles matches on Saturday.
Pospisil, ranked No. 191 on the ATP World Tour, broke once in the opening set, twice in the second and the last time at 5-5 in the third to secure a straight sets win. The 21 year old earned the first Davis Cup singles win of his career after winning the doubles rubber on Saturday alongside Toronto’s Daniel Nestor.
"I’m so happy I was able to bounce back today after that first singles match when I really didn’t play well and felt like I let my team down," Pospisil said. "Yesterday’s doubles match really calmed me down and I took that momentum into today. I’m proud that I was able to give the team a chance and push it to the deciding match."
Bester, ranked No. 229 in the world, played strong, aggressive tennis against Endara and won in three clean sets.
"I’m not sure I’ve had a bigger win in my entire career," Bester said. "I was so excited to come back and be part of this team after missing a few years, and to be able to provide this clutch victory is such a dream come true for me. This is a moment I will never forget."