Toby Samuel: Brit to make Davis Cup debut after 'surreal' year
BBC Sport England reports that Toby Samuel will make his Davis Cup debut for Great Britain against Ecuador this weekend. The 23-year-old has enjoyed a remarkable rise over the past year, breaking into the top 100 world rankings and participating in three Grand Slams.
"It's surreal being in this position now from where I was eight, nine months ago... [when] I was hopefully trying to play some Challengers, and now I'm sat here ready to play the Davis Cup - it's crazy," Samuel expressed.
Samuel joins Arthur Fery, Cameron Norrie, Henry Patten, and Lloyd Glasspool in the squad at London's Copper Box arena. He described receiving his call-up while in New York for the US Open as "unbelievable" and "one of the best moments in my tennis life."
This year marks several firsts for Samuel:
- First victory in a Grand Slam at the US Open, defeating Tomas Machac.
- Reaching the main draw of the French Open, qualifying through three rounds.
- Receiving a wildcard entry at Wimbledon and pushing Jakub Mensik to five sets.
Samuel attributes his improved mental and physical game to facing longer matches on the Challenger Tour, where matches are played over three sets compared to the Davis Cup's best-of-five format. He believes his serve and forehand have become significant weapons in his arsenal.