TheSportsCampus

The draw for the 2012 Davis Cup by BNP Paribas World Group play-offs was held on Wednesday at the International Tennis Federation headquarters in London. The Miele Canadian Davis Cup team will play an away tie versus South Africa from September 14-16 to retain their spot in the World Group for 2013. Team nominations, venue and court surface will be announced at a later date.

"Our goal has always been to be a World Group nation and now that we have reached that level we have every intention of staying there," said Miele Canadian Davis Cup team captain Martin Laurendeau. "We have to go back on the road, but our team showed last year that they are more than capable of winning away ties in challenging conditions. We now have the whole summer to prepare the best we can and head to South Africa ready to compete."

Canada is the seeded team with a Davis Cup world ranking of No. 13. South Africa is ranked No. 23 in the world. The two countries have no Davis Cup history and therefore the choice of ground was decided by lot.

Canada started the year in the World Group for the first time since 2004. They played their first-round tie at home in Vancouver versus Davis Cup powerhouse France in February. The Miele Canadian Davis Cup team lost 4-1 to France, forcing this World Group play-off match-up. South Africa advanced out of the Europe/Africa zone to reach the World Group play-offs after a 4-1 defeat over Slovenia last weekend.

Canada must win in September to remain in the World Group for 2013. A loss would relegate them back to Americas Zone Group I for next year. The last time Canada achieved World Group status in consecutive years was 1991 and 1992.

Davis Cup by BNP Paribas is the largest annual international team competition in sport with more than 120 nations competing. Only 16 countries entered in Davis Cup competition qualify for the World Group each year.