Nestor Returns to Site of Former Glory
When Daniel Nestor hits his first ball during the doubles rubber of Canada's Davis Cup by BNP Paribas World Group first-round tie against France on Saturday, it will mark the 20th year in which he has represented Canada in the world's largest international team competition.
And though Canada is sure to be in tough against the powerhouse French at the Doug Mitchell Thunderbird Sports Centre at UBC in Vancouver, Nestor's experience means that he knows better than his younger teammates that truly anything can happen during Davis Cup action. He can look back to his very first tie in 1992 for evidence.
That year, Canada was also in the World Group. They've only been in it two times since - 2004 and now 2012. And just like this weekend's match-up, the maple leaf squad again was taking on a formidable opponent in Sweden, whose roster boasted world No. 1 Stefan Edberg.
The tie took place at the Pacific National Agrodome in Vancouver, meaning Nestor is commemorating his 20th Davis Cup year in the city where it all began.
Grant Connell opened up the proceedings with a solid upset victory over world No. 15 Magnus Gustafsson, already giving Canada an unexpected lead. Then, it was Nestor's turn.
The Toronto native held the No. 238 spot in the rankings when he took the court opposite world No. 1 and five-time Slam champion (at the time) Stefan Edberg. The skinny 19-year-old rookie was definitely the considerable underdog in the match-up. But instead of surrendering to his supposed fate, Nestor battled, continually coming back and surprising Edberg with his skill. It turned into one of the best performances of his career, as Nestor clinched the thrilling five-setter 4-6, 6-3, 1-6, 6-3, 6-4.
With that win, the young kid put his team up an incredible 2-0 heading into the second day. And while Canada would eventually succumb to Sweden after falling in the final three matches - Nestor almost came to the rescue again in the deciding fifth rubber, nearly completing a second upset victory on the weekend before losing to Gustafsson 4-6, 6-2, 6-3, 5-7, 4-6 - the fact it was so close to unseating the Swedes, who ultimately made it to the semifinals, was an accomplishment in itself. The three-day event also remains one of the most exciting Davis Cup ties in Canadian history.
Canada's experience against Sweden proves that in Davis Cup, sometimes all bets are off. And with both Nestor and memories of that 1992 tie still present, the 2012 team knows anything is possible, and will try whatever it takes to duplicate that success - but this time, complete the win.
Add in that the country is again competing in Vancouver, with a supportive home crowd cheering them on proudly, and an upset victory over France this weekend is definitely not out of the question.
