Great Britain will field a new Davis Cup debutant this weekend after Toby Samuel was added to the squad that takes on Ecuador at the Copper Box in London. The 23-year-old from Winchester, who trains in Bath, has spent the past year rising through the rankings, breaking into the world top 100 and appearing at three Grand Slam tournaments.
Samuel received the call-up while in New York after making his US Open debut, a moment he described with obvious pride. "It was unbelievable, it was one of the best moments of my tennis life, to get called up to that, it's what every British player wants, to represent their country and play for their country," he said.
The season has included tangible milestones. Samuel recorded his first Grand Slam match victory at the US Open, beating Tomas Machac before losing to 18th seed Jiri Lehecka. He earned a place in the French Open main draw by winning three qualifying matches, and at Wimbledon he accepted a wildcard and took Jakub Mensik to five sets.
Moving up from the Challenger Tour has forced adjustments to his game, Samuel said, with longer matches and tougher opponents changing how he prepares and plays. "But after the second or third time I did it I got more used to it and I felt like I was a lot calmer on the court, which helped me to go deep," he said. On the development of his strokes he added, "Before they were good but they weren't really scaring people. Now they're my biggest weapons and I can take matches with them."
Samuel will join Arthur Fery, Cameron Norrie, Henry Patten and Lloyd Glasspool in the five-man squad. The selection gives captain Leon Smith an additional, in-form option after Samuel’s breakthrough season and provides Britain with a young player who has shown he can cope with longer, higher-intensity matches.
The immediate task for Samuel is straightforward: convert the momentum of his late-season results into a positive contribution for Britain on home soil when the tie begins at the Copper Box this weekend.
