Billy Harris produced “one of the best Davis Cup debuts you’ll have seen” to ensure Great Britain’s quest to reach the knockout stage started strongly – even without the rested Jack Draper.
Late bloomer Harris, who used to drive to low-level tournaments in a van before earning his first ATP Tour win last year, clinched an opening victory against Finland in the group stage.
The 29-year-old looked unflappable in a 6-4 7-6 (7-4) win over Otto Virtanen which gave the hosts an unbeatable 2-0 lead.
US Open semi-finalist Draper celebrated from the sidelines, having sat out the tie following his exploits in New York.
Harris’ win came after Dan Evans, 34, won 7-6 (7-3) 6-2 against 703rd-ranked Eero Vasa to put Britain ahead in Manchester.
“I’m absolutely thrilled for Billy – I think that’s one of the best debuts you’ll have seen. It was that good,” said British captain Leon Smith.
“If you look at Otto’s record over the past couple of years in the Davis Cup it’s pretty flawless.
“Billy actually could have won in a more straightforward manner – he was absolutely immense. Nothing really kind of fazes him, even though he’s not really been on a big court before.”
Harris’ display meant Smith’s decision to give Draper, 22, more time to recover paid off, but he could return for the round-robin contests against Argentina and Canada later this week.
Britain are aiming to finish in Group D’s top two and reach the Davis Cup Finals last eight in Malaga this November.
Evans and Neal Skupski could not complete a clean sweep as they fell to a 7-6 (7-4) 7-5 doubles defeat against Virtanen and Harri Heliovaara.
Britain could be left to rue not winning the tie 3-0, with the competition’s format meaning every match counts until the end.
“It feels disappointing because it is a long day and last year [at the same event] it almost came back to bite us, not getting that 3-0 on the first day,” added Smith.
“But it is a positive day. At the start, when you don’t have Jack and Cameron Norrie – your two highest ranked players – and end up winning a tie 2-1, you’d take that.”
Dream debut for Harris after long journey
As the post-Andy Murray era begins, the British squad has a fresh look and new impetus.
Former world top-10 player Norrie is missing through injury and Harris – joined as a rookie in Smith’s squad by Wimbledon doubles champion Henry Patten – has been rewarded for his stunning rise over the past 18 months.
The journey to the cusp of the world’s top 100 has been long and arduous.
Driving around Europe to play in lower-tier events, sleeping in his van while parked in McDonald’s car parks, stood as testament to Harris’ dedication.
He was a hitting partner when Britain played in the Davis Cup Finals knockout stage in November – now he is playing a pivotal role in their quest.
Asked where the victory ranked in his career, Harris said: “I think making my debut for Great Britain and winning on my first cap probably tops it all so far.
“Three years ago I was probably ranked about 600 so I had no chance of getting near the team.
“But I’ve been improving each year since then and feel like I was ready to step into the team once I got called up.”
Experienced Evans remains reassuring presence
Evans, despite a difficult season where he has struggled for form and fitness, is a reassuring presence in this British team.
He has dropped to outside the world’s 150 in recent months but, in front of about 6,500 fans at Manchester Arena, demonstrated his value.
Those watching would have been forgiven for thinking Evans would breeze past the unheralded Vasa, a regular on the bottom-rung Futures Tour.
However, the 27-year-old Vasa surprised the crowd – if not Evans – by playing well above his ranking.
“It was a difficult match,” he said. “He played great at the start. I knew he would come out and play aggressive.
“I found it tough for a long time to get the ball-striking and I started to play better in the second and better at the end.”
Scare for Alcaraz in Spain victory
Having missed out on last year’s Davis Cup Finals knockout stage, Spain got past the Czech Republic in Valencia in their quest to avoid the same fate in 2024.
There was a brief scare for Carlos Alcaraz, who dropped the opening set of his match against Tomas Machac before recovering to level at 6-7 (3-7) 6-1. Machac, seemingly cramping, then retired in the opening game of set three. Spain’s Roberto Bautista Agut had earlier defeated Jiri Lehecka 7-6 (7-1) 6-4.
Italy beat Brazil in Bologna behind singles wins for Matteo Berrettini and Matteo Arnaldi.
The United States fended off Chile 3-0 in Zhuhai, China, with third-set tie-break wins for Reilly Opelka, Brandon Nakashima and the doubles pairing of Austin Krajicek and Rajeev Ram.
Canada also beat Argentina 2-1 in Manchester, Belgium overcame Netherlands in Bologna by the same score, Australia defeated France 2-1 in Valencia, and Germany sunk Slovakia 3-0 in Zhuhai.