clarinews@clarinet.com (02/03/90)
VANCOUVER, British Columbia (UPI) -- Canada has taken a stranglehold on its best-of-five Davis Cup American Zone quarterfinal tie with Brazil after taking Friday night's first two singles matches and assuming a 2-0 lead. Andrew Sznajder of Toronto, Ontario defeated Brazilian ace Luiz Mattar of Sao Paulo three sets to one following Grant Connell's earlier straight-set victory over Danilo Marcelino to give the home country the lead going into Saturday's doubles match and Sunday's reverse singles. The win means Canada needs only a win in one of the three remaining matches to take the tie. Sznajder was happy about the unexpected victory. ``It's nice being up 2-love going into Saturday's matches,'' he said after upping his all-time Davis Cup record to 6-3. ``The third set tiebreaker was the key point. I really concentrated on my serves and let everything else take car of itself,'' he added. Sznajder, currently ranked 70th in the world, beat Mattar, 46th, 6-4, 3-6, 7-6 (8-6), 6-4, in the battle between both countries' best players. The turning point of the match came in the third set when Mattar battled back from a 4-1 deficit to lead in the tiebreaker 6-5 before Sznajder took three straight points and the pivotal set. Mattar felt the tiebreaker success gave the 22 year old Canadian the confidence to take the match. ``The match was touch and go until the third set and a tough tiebreaker. I missed too many returns and then he got some confidence and he hit winner after winner in the 4th set. There was nothing I could do,'' said Mattar afterwards. In the first match, Vancouver native Grant Connell won seven straight games over the first and second sets and went on to defeat Danilo Marcelino of Sao Paulo in three straight sets 7-5, 6-3, and 6-4. Trailing 5-3 in the first set after Marcelino broke his second service, Connell rallied to break the 23 year old Brazilian twice in sweeping the last four games of the opener. ``Once I got the first set under my belt I was sailing,'' said Connell after the match gave Canada a 1-0 lead in the best of five North American zone quarterfinal tie. Marcelino thought Connell's first set comeback was the deciding factor. ``He was nervous in the first set but after he broke me he started to play really well. He played very good tennis today,'' noted the Brazilian number two singles player. Saturday's doubles matchup is currently scheduled to feature Connell and Glenn Michibata of Islington, Ontario against Marcelino and Mauro Menezes of Sao Paulo. Each country has until one hour before match time to change its doubles entries. Sunday will feature the two remaining singles matches where tonight's opponents will switch. The winner of the best-of-five series advances to the zonal semi-finals March 30-April 2 at Asuncion, Paraguay.