Jack Draper made his return to action for Great Britain in the Davis Cup but the US Open semi-finalist’s reinstatement to the team could not prevent defeat.

Draper lost against Francisco Cerundolo, in straight sets 7-6 (7-4) 7-5, in a match lasting two hours and nine minutes less than a week on from from his epic clash with eventual US Open champion Jannik Sinner.

The result gave Argentina an unassailable 2-0 lead ahead of the doubles rubber after Dan Evans lost to Tomas Martin Etcheverry earlier in the day at the AO Arena in Manchester – but Evans and Neal Skupski defeated Maximo Gonzalez and Andres Molteni to ensure the match finished 2-1.

It meant Great Britain missed out on the first chance to book their spot in Malaga for the knockout stage in November ahead of facing 2022 champions Canada in their final Group D tie on Sunday.

Leon Smith’s team began their Davis Cup campaign with a 2-1 victory over Finland, with Draper’s replacement Billy Harris coming to the fore to help GB win and the 22-year-old rested after his draining run to the last four in in New York four days previously.

This tie was a step up in class, though, and Draper, who understandably looked a little jaded, could not manage to outmuscle the impressive Cerundolo, ranked 11 places below the British No 1 at world number 31.

There was no sign of the strapping on his right thigh that Draper had worn since the quarter-finals at Flushing Meadows but a break for Cerundolo in the third game put him on the back foot.

Draper broke back to make it 5-5, to the delight of the majority of the 9,000-strong crowd, which included Liverpool’s Argentina international Alexis Mac Allister.

But Cerundolo led throughout the tie-break and Draper just could not find a meaningful advantage in the second set, first being pegged back straight away after an early break and then missing three break points at 4-4.

Cerundolo did not make the same mistake when he brought up three match points at 6-5, converting the first and then falling to the court in delight.

Earlier, Evans, who was given the nod over Harris as No 2, was also unable to take his chances against the consistent Etcheverry.

It has been a difficult year for Evans, whose ranking has slipped to 178, and he could only boast one win in 2024 over a player ranked higher than world No 34 Etcheverry.

Had Evans managed to convert any of four break points in a long fourth game, things might have played out differently.

But his opponent, nine years younger and eight inches taller, surged ahead with five games in a row and the crucial break of a tight second set came at 5-5.

Evans had three more opportunities to break in a rollercoaster final game that also saw him save five match points but the cruellest of net-cords created a sixth and this time Etcheverry made it across the line.

Evans was left disappointed, saying: “I didn’t play my best. A really long game at 2-1 in the first set probably changed the momentum of the match quite a bit.

“And then at the end I felt the momentum was turning but I just wasn’t as good as I expect. It was a difficult match. I wasn’t feeling great how I was striking the ball.”

Where is Draper playing in the rest of 2024?

It’s not yet confirmed when Draper will next be in action outwith the Davis Cup, but after a brief hiatus the ATP Tour swings back into action with events in China and Japan from September 16 onwards.

The Chengdu Open (ATP 250) and Hangzhou Open (ATP 250) tournaments will be live on Sky Sports Tennis from that week, followed by the China Open (ATP 500) in Beijing and Japan Open (ATP 500) in Tokyo from September 23.

All matches will be watchable on Sky Sports as Draper looks to improve his impressive form on hard courts (17 wins – 9 losses), and across the calendar year (30-18) depending on where he next decides to play.

What else is coming up on Sky Sports Tennis in September?

• Jasmin Open, Tunisia – WTA 250 (9-15 September)
• Guadalajara Open, Mexico – WTA 500 (9-15 September)
• Korea Open – WTA 500 (16 -22 September – with Emma Raducanu in action)
• Thailand Open – WTA 250 (16 -22 September)

Sky Sports+ has officially launched and will be integrated into Sky TV, streaming service NOW and the Sky Sports app, giving Sky Sports customers access to over 50 per cent more live sport this year at no extra cost. Find out more here.