CANADA’ S SCHNUR DROPS OPENING MATCH IN DAVIS CUP

Brayden Schnur lost 3-1 to Ramkumar Ramanathan and Canada fell behind 1- 0 in its best- of- five Davis Cup tie against India on Friday. Schnur won the first set before dropping the next three. Ramanathan took the match 5-7, 7- 6 (4), 7- 5, 7- 5. Schnur was making his first Davis Cup appearance on the indoor hard court at Northlands Coliseum in Edmonton, subbing in for the first singles match with Vasek Pospisil nursing a back injury. The 22-year- old Toronto native is ranked No. 202 in the world, while Ramanathan, also 22, is 154th. Schnur trailed the first set 5- 4, but rallied back to win it 7- 5. The second set was also tight, but Ramanathan battled for the victory in a tiebreaker. The Indian ace then captured the third and fourth sets. Canada entered the event in 16th place in the nations rankings, followed closely by India in 18th. Fast- rising 18-year- old phenom Denis Shapovalov ( ranked No. 51) faced Yuki Bhambri ( 157th) in the second singles match late Friday night. The Davis Cup tie will continue on Saturday in Edmonton with a doubles match featuring Canada’s Daniel Nestor (world No. 43) and Pospisil ( 111th) facing India’s Rohan Bopanna ( 19th) and Purav Raja ( 56th).