Samuel 'caught off guard' on winning Davis Cup debut

Toby Samuel expressed surprise at the significance of his Davis Cup debut for Great Britain as they secured a winning start against Ecuador. The 24-year-old battled nerves to overcome a set deficit against Andres Andrade and lead his team at London's Copper Box Arena. Arthur Fery, playing for the first time on home soil since reaching Wimbledon's semi-finals, followed up with a commanding 7-5 6-0 victory over Alvaro Guillen Meza to give Britain a 2-0 lead.

Samuel described the Davis Cup as a completely new experience that felt like a bigger deal than any Grand Slam for him. He has had a breakthrough year, moving from outside the world's top 250 to 95th in the men's singles rankings over the past nine months. Samuel made his Davis Cup debut after Cameron Norrie withdrew due to an arm injury.

He initially struggled as Andrade won the first four games without response, but recovered to win the match 4-6 6-4 6-1. Fery, ranked 36th in the world, had to fight hard in the opening set against Guillen Meza, ultimately winning eight games in a row to defeat the world number 293. The British duo will aim to wrap up the tie with a victory in the doubles match scheduled for Sunday.