Davis Cup 2023 results: Great Britain's Dan Evans beaten by Colombia's Nicolas Mejia

Nicolas Mejia is ranked 223 places beneath Dan Evans successful the satellite rankings

Dan Evans was incapable to springiness Great Britain a winning commencement to their Davis Cup Finals qualifier arsenic helium mislaid to Colombia's Nicolas Mejia successful 3 sets.

Cameron Norrie volition question to level the best-of-five rubbers contention against Nicolas Barrientos aboriginal connected Friday.

Ten-time winners GB are bidding to scope September's radical stage.

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Captain Leon Smith claimed the necktie successful Colombia, played connected clay utilizing the pressureless balls required to header with an altitude of 2,566m, was the "most complicated" his broadside could person drawn.

That proved to beryllium the lawsuit arsenic the determination to get a week aboriginal successful mentation was not capable to assistance British fig 2 Evans, who had said connected Thursday that the squad indispensable beryllium prepared to triumph "ugly" astatine the Pueblo Viejo Country Club.

With the shot flying accelerated disconnected the racquet successful the thinner air, Mejia - the hosts' highest-ranked subordinate aft satellite fig 81 Daniel Elahi Galan withdrew with wounded - delighted the location assemblage arsenic helium opened with 3 successive aces and followed up a emotion clasp with a interruption of serve.

Despite conceding the opening acceptable with different nonaccomplishment of serve, Evans asserted himself aboriginal successful the 2nd and an businesslike treble interruption brought him level.

Mejia was capable to travel done 4 interruption points astatine the commencement of a adjacent decider, portion Evans resisted 2 to clasp for 4-4.

But a costly treble responsibility by the Briton 2 games aboriginal handed his hostile 2 lucifer points - and the arena erupted successful solemnisation arsenic the location favourite sunk to his knees aft taking his 2nd opportunity.

It meant Evans handed implicit to Norrie with the British fig 1 needing triumph to nonstop GB into the 2nd time connected level terms, arsenic Smith's squad purpose to unafraid a spot successful the competition's 16-team radical stage.

Follow sum of Great Britain's qualifying lucifer connected the BBC iPlayer and BBC Sport website and app.