One of the goals of the Ecuadorian Tennis Association for 1987 was to return to the Davis Cup World Group, a place lost the previous year. He started the season with a victory (5-0) at home against Bolivia in the Davis Cup. So, in July, it was the turn to visit Canada, for the semi-finals of the American Zone. The organizers chose the state of Alberta, in Edmonton, in the northwest of Canada, recognized as a quiet city surrounded by large forests. Among its attractions was the recently opened West Edmonton Mall, considered one of the most modern in the world.

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We traveled with Miguel Martín Ycaz to cover the radio series Caravan and we met José María dull Guerrero, who was supposed to broadcast for BELIEVE. It’s nice that we found fifteen compatriots in Edmonton who went to a tour organized by Hugo Marín; and, furthermore, with a dozen Ecuadorians living in that sector of Canada. The head of the delegation was Antonio Gómez Santos, a member of FET. The group was also accompanied by Andrés Gómez’s mother (Vicha Santos de Gómez) and Juan Paulson, the head of the Guayaquil Tennis Club.

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The Ecuadorian team consisted of Andrés Gómez, Hugo Núñez (replaced the injured Raúl Viver), Ernesto Lingen and Martín Aguirre and Ricardo Ycaza as captain. The stage was the University of Alberta stadium and the field surface was concrete.

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The draw was held on July 23. The central referee was the American Peter Kasavaga. The Canadian team consisted of Glenn Michibata (number one), Andrew Sznajder (two), Mark Greenan (three) and Grant Connell (four), with John Manus as captain.

On Friday, July 24, 1987, Hugo Núñez made his debut as a singles player due to Viver’s injury and played an excellent, very competitive match. Sznajder won 8-6, 6-4, 8-6 and won the first point for Canada. The number one tricolor racket, Andrés Gómez, was a well-known player in Canada and respected for his career, reaching a high level. A few days ago, he won in Forest Hills, where he defeated Boris Becker and Frenchman Yannik Noah in the final.

Sports equipment stores were big banners brand Yonex with the image of Gómez. The compatriot entered the field with the support of the Ecuadorian bar, which was flying the national flag. On July 24, the mobile stands were almost full. Andrés was strong and defeated Michibata in three sets: 6-1, 6-4, 6-2.

On Saturday, July 25, before the doubles match between Gómez and Núñez against Connell and Greenan, a very attractive opening ceremony was held, which included the performance of dancers in classical costumes from the region, but also dancers in Andean costumes, in honor of our culture.

The sun was good, although we were told that strong winds were forecast for the stadium area that day. Given that they placed us on the second floor of a ten-meter-high tubular structure with a wooden floor, of course it moved with the strong wind, which caused anxiety for us who broadcast the matches, including our colleagues from Canadian television.

The compromise turned out to be very even. The Canadians always attacked Núñez’s game, but Andrés was tasked with neutralizing that advantage. The complicated duel was won by the triathlete with 7-5, 7-9, 6-4 and 6-1, thus winning the series with Canada 2-1.

On Sunday, July 26, 1987, starting at 12:00, there was hope that Hugo Núñez would give us a place, because he played well on Friday in singles, but it wasn’t like that. Although Michibata lost the first set 6-8, she dominated the match. Nunez tried hard, but his net play fell short. The Canadian deservedly leveled the series at two, winning the match 6-8, 6-3, 6-2, 6-2.

Sunday, July 26, 3:00 p.m. Canadian fans, at this point in the series, were very excited. They filled the stage and did not stop cheering for their team. Sznajder proved to be a tennis player who talked and gestured a lot, who was always looking for a crossbar and celebrated his most important points by turning around his court.

This game that was supposed to define the series was charged with emotion. Gómez walked out to the roar of the Canadian public, and the Ecuadorian bar could only be heard when the owners of the house were silent. The game started very evenly and remained so in the further development. Point by point was disputed as if it were the defining one matches. The better Gómez played, the more his opponent raised his level. The Canadian won the first set 6-4, with the euphoria of his audience.

Both in the second and third sets, actions were very even. The Canadian did not get tired of attacking, while Gómez retaliated with that game lobes attacking and deep balls. The Ecuadorian won the next two sets 6-4 and 6-4. The mood of the spectators rose due to the continuous claims that Sznajder made to the linesman.

The triumph of Andrés Gómez

In the fourth set, in a match that was interrupted more and more often – because there were two or three decisions of the referee on the chair that captain Ycaza strongly disputed – he received the support of the audience. Andrés Gómez was about to break at 5-5, but Sznajder pulled himself together and eventually won 7-5. Against this tense backdrop, the final set was truly intense. The two tennis players kept the same scheme and followed the set point by point.

The fifth set was reached after an exciting match that lasted more than three hours. In one of the interruptions in the last set, Andrés’ mother, who was in one of the boxes, said aloud to her son: “Andrés, can you do me a favor and hurry up to win the match, they are closing my “commercial” center. This phrase remained as an anecdote to never be forgotten. In practice, Andrés satisfied his mother, because in the eleventh games finally broke Sznajder’s serve, and then won his i matches. The joy was contagious and all the Ecuadorians came together to hug Gómez and everyone on the team. Andrés made it 3-2 by winning 4-6, 6-4, 6-4, 5-7, 7-5.

The Ecuadorian celebration continued into the night at The Canadian Brewhouse restaurant, where the entertainer noted the presence of the tricolor delegation and invited one of the compatriots to take the stage. As a special anecdote, it was Miguel Martín Ycaza who went up and, after expressing a few phrases of thanks in English, offered the public to sing a popular song a cappella five centsJulio Jaramillo. The surprise was that the main verse was sung in English (I want to buy five cents of happiness from life. I want to have the bliss that I pay for with blood and tears). The audience stood up to applaud him.

That’s how this series ended, which was unforgettable for the anecdotes and the 3-2 victory, a result that allowed the final in October 1987 against Brazil to be contested for placement in the world group. (OR)