Stanislas Wawrinka finished off a final game Monday in a Davis Cup
promotion round match that was interrupted on the brink of darkness the
previous night to send Switzerland into the elite group with his 4-6,
6-4, 6-7 (7-9), 6-4, 6-3 defeat of Lleyton Hewitt.
The weekend 3-2 loss means the Aussies will stay in Asian zonal play for 2012 while Switzerland with Roger Federer and Wawrinka join the World Group.
The contest was halted on an angry note on Sunday when Australian captain Patrick Rafter complained heatedly to chair umpire Javier Moreno that play should have been stopped earlier on the grass at Sydney due to poor light.
When they returned, Hewitt, his right knee heavily strapped, was serving at 3-5 down in the fifth set of the decisive rubber. The Australian fell victim to a pair of double-faults in the winner-take-all final game which ended the weekend.
Wawrinka showed his mettle on grass despite a 9-13 career record on the lawns heading into the tie.
The weekend 3-2 loss means the Aussies will stay in Asian zonal play for 2012 while Switzerland with Roger Federer and Wawrinka join the World Group.
The contest was halted on an angry note on Sunday when Australian captain Patrick Rafter complained heatedly to chair umpire Javier Moreno that play should have been stopped earlier on the grass at Sydney due to poor light.
When they returned, Hewitt, his right knee heavily strapped, was serving at 3-5 down in the fifth set of the decisive rubber. The Australian fell victim to a pair of double-faults in the winner-take-all final game which ended the weekend.
Wawrinka showed his mettle on grass despite a 9-13 career record on the lawns heading into the tie.
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