WATCH: Davis Cup drama as player hits umpire in face

Ottawa - Britain booked a Davis Cup quarter-final match-up against France in odd fashion on Sunday after the decisive final singles match ended when Canada's Denis Shapovalov hit the umpire with a ball (watch the incident in the video below).

The 17-year-old Israeli-born Canadian was defaulted after hitting a ball into the face of chair umpire Arnaud Gabas, handing Britain's Kyle Edmund a 6-3, 6-4, 2-1 triumph that gave Britain a 3-2 victory in the first-round tie at Ottawa.

"It was a strange way to finish," Edmund said. "I've never been part of something like that."

Britain advanced to a quarter-final match-up April 7-9 against France with that winner facing either Spain or Serbia in a September semi-final.

Gabas suffered bruising and swelling around his left eye and was taken to a nearby hospital.

Shapovalov apologized to Gabas in the referee's office while he was being treated, and was contrite in a press conference.

"I would like to begin with apologising to that umpire, the referee and to all ITF officials. It was unacceptable behavior from me," said Shapovalov, who was frustrated at losing a point, took a ball from his pocket and hit it wildly to send it flying into Gabas's face.

"I feel incredibly ashamed and embarrassed, for letting my team down and my country down. That's the last time I'm going to do anything like that. I'm going to learn from it."

Vasek Pospisil had blasted 25 aces in a 7-6 (7/3), 6-4, 3-6, 7-6 (7/5) victory over Dan Evans after three hours and 23 minutes earlier to draw Canada level at 2-2, setting the stage for the final drama.

Pospisil took to Twitter to defend his young team-mate.

"No one is nicer or carries themselves better for a 17 y/o than Shapovalov," Pospisil tweeted. "Everyone can see that today was an accident. Can happen to anyone."

British Davis Cup captain Leon Smith was sympathetic as well.

"It's a shame that it has happened that way and I feel for the young lad because he's a great talent and he has learned a harsh lesson today," Smith said.

"I thought Kyle, from what we saw Friday to the way he came out today, he was absolutely fantastic."

World No 1 Andy Murray was absent for Britain and injured fourth-ranked Canadian Milos Raonic was also missing.

In the first reverse singles, Pospisil smacked a forehand winner to grab a 6-4 edge in the final tie-breaker.

Evans answered with his seventh ace but Pospisil took the final point to keep Canada's hopes alive.

It was a busy weekend for Pospisil, who teamed with Daniel Nestor in a Saturday doubles loss to Britain's Dominic Inglot and Jamie Murray.

He had beaten Edmund in three sets on Friday, when Shapovalov fell to Evans in the opening match of the tie.

No one is nicer or carries themselves better for a 17 y/o than Shapovalov. Everyone can see that today was an accident. Can happen to anyone

— Vasek Pospisil (@VasekPospisil) February 5, 2017

Davis Cup World Group first round results this weekend:

At Buenos Aires (clay, outdoor)

Argentina 2 Italy 2

Friday

Paolo Lorenzi (ITA) bt Guido Pella (ARG) 6-3, 6-3, 6-3

Andreas Seppi (ITA) bt Carlos Berlocq (ARG) 6-1, 6-2, 1-6, 7-6 (8/6)

Saturday

Carlos Berlocq/Leonardo Mayer (ARG) bt Simone Bolelli/Fabio Fognini (ITA) 6-3, 6-3, 4-6, 2-6, 7-6 (9/7)

Sunday

Carlos Berlocq (ARG) bat Paolo Lorenzi (ITA) 4-6, 6-4, 6-1, 3-6, 6-3

Playing on Monday:

Guido Pella (ARG) v Fabio Fognini (ITA)

At Frankfurt (hard, indoor)

Germany 1 Belgium 4

Friday

Steve Darcis (BEL) bt Philipp Kohlschreiber (GER) 6-4, 3-6, 2-6, 7-6 (7/2), 7-5 (7/5)

Alexander Zverev (GER) bt Arthur De Greef (BEL) 6-3, 6-3, 6-4

Saturday

Ruben Bemelmans/Joris De Loore (BEL) bt Alexander Zverev/Mischa Zverev (GER) 6-3, 7-6 (7/4), 4-6, 4-6, 6-3

Sunday

Steve Darcis (BEL) bt Alexander Zverev (GER) 2-6, 6-4, 6-4, 7-6 (10/8)

Ruben Bemelmans (BEL) bt Mischa Zverev (GER) 7-5, 6-1

At Melbourne (hard, outdoor)

Australia 4 Czech Republic 1

Friday

Jordan Thompson (AUS) bt Jiri Vesely (CZE) 6-3, 6-3, 6-4

Nick Kyrgios (AUS) bt Jan Satral (CZE) 6-2, 6-3, 6-2

Saturday

Sam Groth/John Peers (AUS) bt Jan Satral/Jiri Vesely (CZE) 6-3, 6-2, 6-2

Sunday

Jiri Vesely (CZE) bt Sam Groth (AUS) 3-6, 7-5, 6-3

Jordan Thompson (AUS) bt Jan Satral (CZE) 7-6 (7/5), 6-2

At Birmingham (hard, outdoor)

United States 5 Switzerland 0

Friday

Jack Sock (USA) bt Marco Chiudinelli (SUI) 6-4, 6-3, 6-1

John Isner (USA) bt Henri Laaksonen (SUI) 4-6, 6-2, 6-2, 7-6 (7/1)

Saturday

Steve Johnson/Jack Sock (USA) bt Henri Laaksonen/Adrien Bossel (SUI) 7-6 (7/3), 6-3, 7-6 (7/5)

Sunday

Sam Querrey (USA) bt Adrien Bossel (SUI) 6-3, 7-5

Steve Johnson (USA) bt Antoine Bellier (SUI) 6-4, 6-3

At Tokyo (hard, indoor)

Japan 1 France 4

Friday

Richard Gasquet (FRA) bt Taro Daniel (JPN) 6-2, 6-3, 6-2

Gilles Simon (FRA) bt Yoshihito Nishioka (JPN) 6-3, 6-3, 6-4

Saturday

Nicolas Mahut/Pierre-Hugues Herbert (FRA) bt Yuichi Sugita/Yasutaka Uchiyama (JPN) 6-3, 6-4, 6-4

Sunday

Nicolas Mahut (FRA) bt Yoshihito Nishioka (JPN) 6-1, 1-1 -- retired

Yasutaka Uchiyama bt Pierre-Hugues Herbert (FRA) 6-4, 6-4

At Ottawa (hard, indoor)

Canada 2 Great Britain 3

Friday

Dan Evans (GBR) bt Denis Shapovalov (CAN) 6-3, 6-3, 6-4

Vasek Pospisil (CAN) bt Kyle Edmund (GBR) 6-4, 6-1, 7-6 (7/3)

Saturday

Dominic Inglot/Jamie Murray (GBR) bt Daniel Nestor/Vasek Pospisil (CAN) 7-6 (7/1), 6-7 (3/7), 7-6 (7/3), 6-3

Sunday

Vasek Pospisil (CAN) bt Daniel Evans (GBR) 7-6 (7/3), 6-4, 3-6, 7-6 (7/5)

Kyle Edmund (GBR) bt Denis Shapovalov (CAN) 6-3, 6-4, 2-1, default, hitting umpire with ball

At Nis (hard, indoor)

Serbia 4 Russia 1

Friday

Viktor Troicki (SRB) bt Karen Khachanov (RUS) 6-4, 6-7 (3/7), 6-3, 1-6, 7-6 (8/6)

Novak Djokovic (SRB) bt Daniil Medvedev (RUS) 3-6, 6-4, 6-1, 1-0 -- retired

Saturday

Viktor Troicki/Nenad Zimonjic (SRB) bt Andrey Kuznetsov/Konstantin Kravchuk (RUS) 6-3, 7-6 (7/3), 6-7 (5/7), 6-4

Sunday

Dusan Lajovic (SRB) bt Konstantin Kravchuk (RUS) 6-3, 4-6, 6-3

Fifth match not played at Serbia request, point given to Russia

At Osijek (hard, indoor)

Croatia 2 Spain 3

Friday

Franko Skugor (CRO) bt Pablo Carreno Busta (ESP) 3-6, 6-3, 6-4, 4-6, 7-6 (8/6)

Roberto Bautista Agut (ESP) bt Ante Pavic (CRO) 6-4, 6-2, 6-3

Saturday

Marin Draganja/Nikola Mektic (CRO) bt Feliciano Lopez/Marc Lopez (ESP) 6-7, (6/8), 7-6 (9/7), 7-6 (7/5), 2-6, 6-4

Sunday

Roberto Bautista Agut (ESP) bt Franko Skugor (CRO) 6-1, 6-7 (4-7), 6-3, 7-6 (8/6)

Pablo Carreno Busta (ESP) bt Nikola Mektic (CRO) 7-6 (7/4), 6-1, 6-4