Davis Cup debutant Cameron Norrie hailed “the best day of his career” after hitting back from two sets down to upset Spain’s Roberto Bautista Agut.
The world No.114 levelled the World Group first-round tie at 1-1 following a stirring display for Great Britain in Marbella on Friday.
He trailed by two sets and was 3-1 down to the world No.23 before roaring back to win 4-6 3-6 6-3 6-2 6-2 in his first match on clay.
“It’s 100 per cent the best day of my career,” Norrie told the BBC on court after the game.
“I was nervous and had a streak in the second set where I couldn’t get a serve but I pulled it together.
“Thanks to my team, they gave me great energy. I thought I was tougher and physically I had some problems but I played it point by point.
“I managed to pull it together and keep Great Britain in the tie. It gave me a lot of confidence because it was my first match on clay.”
Norrie broke three times in the third set and twice in the fourth and fifth and Bautista Agut had no response with the Briton hitting 60 winners – twice as many as his rival.
Norrie outfought Bautista Agut, who began to suffer with a thigh problem in the fourth set.
The 22-year-old added: “It was a little boost but I backed myself physically and mentally. It was pretty good of him not retiring but I wanted to keep the points physical and work him as hard as I could.
“I talked to Kyle Edmund a lot on how to manage the energy, you have to pick your points and he is very good at that. I’m a good runner and had to back myself the whole way.”
Norrie levelled the tie after Liam Broady had earlier shown plenty of fight but was ultimately undone by the clay-court nous of Albert Ramos-Vinolas as Spain took a 1-0 lead.
The absence of Andy Murray and Edmund meant world No.165 Broady flew the flag for Britain in the opening rubber but Ramos-Vinolas prevailed 6-3 6-4 7-6 (8/6).
Jamie Murray and Dominic Inglot now face Feliciano Lopez and Pablo Carreno Busta in Saturday’s doubles rubber.