Alexei Popyrin has been a patient supporter for Australia's Davis Cup team, helping out in practice and turning up at courtside to back his mates even when he's not been in the official squad.
But this was the day 'Poppy' stood tall, turning from cheerleader into team spearhead with a jitters-defying performance that helped put them on their way to a second straight final in the 'World Cup of men's tennis'.
The 24-year-old Sydneysider hadn't played in a Davis Cup tie for two years but in Malaga on Friday, when the call from captain Lleyton Hewitt finally came for him to step into the difficult opening singles spot that has caused him so many problems this season, he delivered brilliantly.
