Arthur Fery’s return to competition on home soil for the first time since his glorious summer at Wimbledon took place on a different surface, in a different format and on the opposite side of London. The emotions it generated were all the same as the British No 1 led his team to a 2-0 lead over Ecuador by defeating Álvaro Guillén Meza 7-5, 6-0 in Great Britain’s Davis Cup qualifier tie in the Copper Box Arena.
The victory for Fery, a Wimbledon semi-finalist, was preceded by a solid debut for the British No 5, Toby Samuel, a late injury replacement for Cameron Norrie. Samuel opened the tie by overcoming a nervous start to set the tone with a 4-6, 6-4, 6-1 win over Ecuador’s No 1, Andrés Andrade.
