Jacob Fearnley insisted rumours of his demise, and that of British tennis, have been greatly exaggerated.
The 24-year-old Scot came from two sets down to beat American world number 46 Alex Michelsen in the first five-set match of his career.
Fearnley has endured a torrid 12 months since he was demolished by Joao Fonseca in SW19 this time last year, with his ranking slipping from 49 to outside the top 150.
He needed a wild card to compete this year, and looked set to follow the 15 other Britons who were dumped out in the first round before him when he fell two sets behind.
But on an increasingly raucous Court 15, Fearnley fought back for a 3-6 4-6 6-2 6-3 6-2 win, which could turn around his entire season. “Of course it helps with my confidence,” he said. “I just try and stay in the present, keep it match by match, and obviously just try and do my best every match.
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“I have just been trying to enjoy playing again and enjoy life outside of the court, as well. So far it’s been helping me a lot on the court.
“I’m just going to try and keep that going, because yeah, when I’m enjoying my tennis, that’s when I play my best.”
Fearnley’s win, and those of Katie Swan and Arthur Fery, came in stark contrast to a miserable Monday where all 10 Britons who finished their matches were beaten. “Obviously, I was aware of that,” added Fearnley. “But I also understand that it’s difficult.
“I felt that a lot of the guys and the girls had very tough draws. I thought there were also some really good performances yesterday. Obviously, maybe this tournament hasn’t gone the way that we Brits would have hoped for so far, but I also think that British tennis is in a really good place.
“I think we have the most guys ever ranked between 100 and 250. You know, we had record numbers in the French Open for people in grand slam qualifiers, and I think that’s really special.”
