The New Zealand Davis Cup team has lost their World Group II clash with Luxembourg 3-2 in Palmerston North despite putting up a big fight on the final day.
After losses by KP Pannu and Ajeet Rai in the singles matches on Saturday, the Artem Sitak-captained team tried to comeback from 0-2 down.
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They started well with Although they weren’t quite able to do it, they came incredibly close, with Ajeet Rai and Finn Reynolds winning the doubles 6-3 6-2 over Raphael Calzi and Gilles Kremer.
With Jack Loutit won his maiden Davis Cup match to keep the tie live beating Chris Rodesch 7-5, 6-4 with a good array of shots from the left-handed Kiwi and a few tight calls going his way.
Twenty-year-old Loutit's victory meant Rubin Statham was set to play the fifth and final match against Alex Knaff.
Statham was broken early in the opening set to fall behind 2-0, but the veteran knows that a break isn’t a break until it’s consolidated and he was able to do the same to Knaff in the following game.
It stayed tight after that, but Statham was broken again later in it for the set to go Luxembourg’s way.
Statham continued fighting through the second set, but Knaff played some of the best and most consistent tennis of this weekend and didn’t give Statham an opportunity to find a way back into the match.
It was Statham’s final appearance for the New Zealand Davis Cup team. The 37-year-old plans to continue playing next season, but has decided that after making his debut for his country in 2005, he feels the time is right to stand aside.
Luxembourg will play in a World Group I playoff next year, while New Zealand team will have a World Group II playoff.
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