The Australian tennis team has lost its Davis Cup tie with Switzerland and faces another year in the lower grades.
Lleyton Hewitt lost the final rubber against Swiss No.2 Stanislas Wawrinka in quick time once it resumed after suspension due to fading light on Sunday at Royal Sydney.
Former world No.1 Hewitt resumed at a precarious 5-3 down in the fifth set and Wawrinka immediately broke his serve to win 4-6 6-4 6-7 6-4 6-3, giving Switzerland a 3-2 victory in the tie and entry to the elite 16-team World Group in 2012.
Australia will spend a fifth year out of the top competition, forced to fight it out in zonal qualifiers in the Asia/Oceania region for the chance to re-enter the Davis Cup main group in 2013.
