Despite putting up a real fight, South Africa were ultimately handed a 4-1 defeat by Luxembourg in their Davis Cup World Group II playoff in Esch-sur-Alzette at the weekend.
Entering the second and final day of competition on Sunday, the SA team had plenty of work to do against their hosts, trailing 2-0 and needing to win all three remaining matches.
Hitting back in the doubles fixture, experienced player Raven Klaasen and 21-year-old Davis Cup debutant Alec Beckley delivered a super performance against Alex Knaff and Chris Rodesch to keep South Africa's hopes alive.
Klaasen and Beckley had to work hard for it, after being given a shake in the second set, but they maintained their composure to secure a 6-4, 5-7, 6-3 victory.
In the first of two reverse singles matches, Davis Cup debutant Kris van Wyk also got off to a great start, with the SA squad's No 1 player taking the first set off Knaff, Luxembourg's top-ranked player.
But with Knaff receiving plenty of support from the home crowd in the packed indoor arena, Van Wyk was unable to hold on, with his opponent picking up a 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 win to secure victory for the hosts with a match to spare.
In the final dead-rubber singles contest, 18-year-old Devin Badenhorst was given an opportunity to make his Davis Cup debut, though he lost to Raphael Calzi who won the match 6-4, 7-5.
While he admitted he was gutted, SA captain Christo van Rensburg was full of praise for his inexperienced team, who were missing some key players.
"This was a sad day for South Africa, losing to Luxembourg. This one really hurts," Van Rensburg said.
"The guys came out today with a really good game plan. The doubles was quite intense so it was really good that we got that match under our belt and put the pressure on Luxembourg at the beginning of the reverse singles.
"Kris (van Wyk) played really well. It was a seesaw match that was up and down with some really good tennis, but in the end, we just could not pull it out.
"So, it was a tough one, but a good experience for all the new boys coming in, and we'll just go back to the drawing board and find ways to get back to the top where South Africa belongs."
While Luxembourg retained their place in the World Group II division of the international team competition, South Africa were relegated to Regional Group III events to be played later this year.