IT IS unlikely Owen Casey has ever won a tennis match in such a painful and dramatic manner as he did last night.

The Davis Cup tie against Belarus at Riverview was slipping out of Ireland's reach after Scott Barron's defeat in the opening singles, when Casey produced heroics of quite stunning proportions.

He beat his highly ranked opponent Alexander Shevets virtually on one leg from the moment he sustained severe cramp after two and a half hours and at a crucial stage in the fourth set of a titanic, four hour battle.

His injury was treated at every break and he cried with pain when playing the ball at every turn. Somehow he found the courage to carry on to finally break Shevets in the 12th game of the final set for a memorable 6-2, 4-6, 6-3, 4-6, 7-5 win.

Ireland's captain Peter Wright captured the mood of it all at the finish when he charged out on to the court to embrace the hero of the night.

"It was difficult, but there was no way I was going to default," Casey said. "I would have to be carried off." At one stage, he cruelly received a warning for delaying while in obvious agony on the ground.

Scott Barron may have had despair as his constant companion in the opening two sets against the authoritive six footer Maxim Mirnyi, but he was brave in trying to recover lost ground.

"I started too slow," was his explanation for an early performance that was brushed aside almost with contempt by the powerful 19 year old visitor.

Three pounding aces delivered with apparent ease in the opening game provided an early indication of the magnitude of Barron's challenge.

Mirnyi, on the full time circuit for two years, raced to that first set win in 25 minutes, and took only seven minutes longer to snatch the second.

Mirnyi emphasised the extent of his talents and potential by admitting afterwards: "I just played the percentage game in the first two sets".

Mirnyi whose serve and net play had Barron at stretch, often achingly, was suitably relieved to see his serve rescue him from imminent danger in the 10th game of the fourth set. He took the match 6-2, 6-3, 4-6, 6-4.

So, the sides go into today's doubles on level terms, though Casey is extremely doubtful of continuing in the match.