NORTH Vancouver's Grant Connell will be one of three Canadian tennis icons honoured with Davis Cup Commitment Awards during the upcoming Davis Cup World Group tie against Spain next month.
Connell will be joined by Sebastien Lareau and Daniel Nestor in an on-court ceremony prior to the doubles match on Saturday, Feb. 2 at 12: 45 p.m. at the Doug Mitchell Thunderbird Sport Centre on the UBC campus. The new International Tennis Federation award is presented to players who have appeared in at least 20 Davis Cup ties.
Connell first played a Davis Cup match in 1987 and racked up 21 ties in all, posting an impressive 23-9 record in the competition. After retiring as a player the former world No. 1 doubles player returned to Davis Cup action seven times as Canada's team captain.
"Since the start of my career and to this day, Davis Cup has been so important to me," Connell said in a Tennis Canada release. "I always looked forward to playing Davis Cup, and thinking of all the Davis Cup ties I played over the years brings me such great memories. Being able to represent my country on the world stage was always a proud feeling for me, and it's another great feeling to now be recognized with this Davis Cup Commitment Award."
Canada will take on the No. 1-ranked Spanish team in a best-of-five competition Feb. 1-3.
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