TENNIS: Australia humiliated by Ecuador in Davis Cup qualifier

MELBOURNE — Australia suffered their worst Davis Cup result under long-serving captain Lleyton Hewitt, losing 3-1 to Ecuador in the first round of qualifiers on Sunday.

Australia’s top player, Alex De Minaur, opted out of the tie in Quito, leaving the 28-time champions short-handed. The decisive doubles match saw Rinky Hijikata and Jordan Thompson fall 7-6(5), 6-4 to Ecuador’s Gonzalo Escobar and Diego Hidalgo, sealing Australia’s exit.

Ecuador, without a player in the top 200, stunned the Australians on home clay by winning both opening singles matches on Saturday. Alvaro Guillen Meza defeated Hijikata in three sets, while 257th-ranked Andres Andrade upset world number 86 James Duckworth, also in three sets.

Ecuador will face Britain in the second round of qualifiers in September.

Australia, led by De Minaur, had previously reached back-to-back finals in 2022-23 and the semi-finals in 2024. However, the loss to Ecuador continues a decline following the team’s failure to reach the eight-nation Finals in 2025, Hewitt’s 10th year as captain.

In other Davis Cup action, India advanced to the second round of qualifiers for the first time under the new format. Dhakshineswar Suresh won both his singles matches and teamed with Yuki Bhambri for victory in doubles as India edged the Netherlands 3-2 in Bengaluru.

Suresh, ranked 470th in the world, held his nerve in the final rubber against Guy de Ouden, winning 6-4, 7-6(4). “It’s just a different feeling when you’re playing for your country,” he told the Davis Cup website. “You are not playing for yourself, you’re playing for the whole nation."

India will face South Korea in September after the Koreans defeated Argentina 3-2. Meanwhile, the United States beat Hungary 4-0, Britain defeated Norway 4-0, and Canada overcame Brazil 3-2.

-Reporting by Ian Ransom in Melbourne; Editing by Muralikumar Anantharaman and Peter Rutherford/Reuters