Australia Falls 3-0 to Ecuador in Davis Cup Qualifiers

Australia suffered a stunning 3-1 defeat to Ecuador in the first round of the Davis Cup qualifiers on Sunday in Quito, marking the 28-time champions' worst performance under captain Lleyton Hewitt. The loss, played on home clay at high altitude, came without Australia's top player Alex de Minaur and highlighted the team's vulnerabilities against a lower-ranked opponent lacking any singles players in the top 200.

The tie began poorly for Australia on Saturday, as Ecuador claimed both opening singles matches. World number 195 Alvaro Guillen Meza defeated Rinky Hijikata in three sets, 6-4, 1-6, 6-4, giving the hosts an early 1-0 lead. Shortly after, world number 257 Andres Andrade pulled off an even bigger upset, rallying from a set down to beat world number 86 James Duckworth 3-6, 6-3, 7-5 in a rain-interrupted contest. The matches unfolded under challenging conditions, with heavy showers delaying play during Andrade's deciding set.

By Sunday, Ecuador led 2-0, and the doubles rubber proved decisive. Gonzalo Escobar and Diego Hidalgo, both veterans at 37 and 32 years old respectively, overcame Jordan Thompson and Hijikata in straight sets, 7-6, 6-4, at the Quito Tennis and Golf...