We had thought it would be a competitive doubles match, but it was a rout. Canada took a 2-1 lead in its American Zone Group One relegation tie with Argentina, as Sébastien Lareau and Daniel Nestor were convincing winners over the disappointing Argentine combination of Martin Garcia and Martin Rodriguez. An enthusiastic but small crowd of about 1,000 took in the action at Jarry Park Tennis Centre's Court One on a day that started in bright sunshine but featured with a one-hour and 15 minute third-set r ain delay.

While Canada was always favoured by virtue of the doubles prowess of its team, both Argentines are ranked in the top 100 in the ATP doubles ranking (Garcia at 28, Rodriguez at 72), and we expected this to be a spirited tilt. But the Canadians outplayed their error-prone opponents in every department. Their service games were impregnable, as the Argentines never had a break point against them in the entire match.

In particular, Canada benefited from a efficient and crisp performance from our "Man of the Match", Lareau. Sébastien was solid on serve, poaching with perfect timing, volleying with both power and occasional delicate angles, and cuffing the strong returns that are his trademark. It was a nice way for Lareau to bounce back from his 6-3, 6-2, 6-3 trouncing at the hands of Agustin Calleri in Friday's singles.

The first set started ominously for "Team Martin" from Argentina: in the first game of the match, Garcia hit his own teammate with a forehand blast. Things didn't get much better, as Garcia proceeded to lose his serve in the next game on a fine forehand lob by Nestor. Canada was holding serve with little difficulty, as both Lareau and Nestor were showing their world-class doubles skills, serving well and covering the net beautifully. With Rodriguez serving to stay in the set at 2-5, Canada put him in tr ouble thanks to some fine returning and baseline play by Lareau, and at 30-40 Rodriguez missed an easy backhand volley to give an easy 6-2 first set to the Canadians.

The second set was more of the same, as Garcia was again broken first (in game 4), and Rodriguez then taking his turn to lose his serve (in game 6). The Argentines were playing from the baseline often, while the Canadians closed the net more efficiently and with better coordination. While Garcia seemed the more fragile of the two and the Canadians appeared to be playing at him, Rodriguez was not exactly solid as a rock either: he missed routine volleys too often and was unable to pull the trigger effect ively from the baseline.

Cheered on by a hardy handful of face-painted Argentine fans, the Martins gamely attempted to make a match of it in the third set, and were even 2-2 when a thunderstorm and heavy rains descended upon the Jarry Park venue. But after the violent but brief thunderstorm passed and the courts were dried, Garcia immediately lost his serve when, at 30-40, Lareau dug out a ball hit at his feet with a remarkable reflex half-volley winner that was the shot of the match. The unhappy Garcia then lost his serve agai n, for the fourth time of the match, when he was serving to stay in the match at 3-5. At deuce the lanky, shaggy-haired Garcia served up a double fault, and then sent a forehand volley long at match point.

Lareau felt that the easy win was a nice confidence-booster after his trouncing at the hands of Calleri yesterday. "The guy did to me yesterday what we did to them today. We were dominant. It was important to get the momentum back on our side. The way we played forced them to make mistakes and get nervous."

Argentine captain Franco Davin tried to downplay the loss. "Doubles is the strongest point for Canada, and it's normal that they win. We did not have time to prepare well for the doubles because of the injury to Rodriguez [Rodriguez arrived in Montreal late because he was having his troublesome right knee examined]. Now we have to win twice tomorrow, but I think we will win both games," added the captain confidently.

Looking ahead to Sunday:

The first match, Lareau-Chela, will pit the losers of Friday's singles against each other. Both sides are expecting Chela to put up a better fight than he did on Friday, when he looked like a fish out of water against Nestor. "He was nervous," noted Davin. "Now that he has played that match he is probably going to play better, and more relaxed." Lareau admitted that he will not be able to overpower Chela the way Nestor did: "I don't hit as hard as Daniel does, so there'll be more rallies and it will b e a different match, because he'll see more balls."

Should Chela prevail, the fifth and deciding rubber would see Calleri go against Nestor. Calleri has been the most impressive player here, and Nestor clearly does not relish the thought of playing the red-hot Argentine with the tie on the line. "I'll pray that [Lareau] wins," laughed Nestor, probably semi-seriously?.

Check in for another on the spot report tomorrow!