Scotland's comeback kid Colin Fleming will play the biggest match of his life when he makes his Davis Cup debut on Saturday.
Rookie relishing challenge of playing in Davis Cup
Scotland's comeback kid Colin Fleming will play the biggest match of his life when he makes his Davis Cup debut on Saturday.
The 24-year-old doubles specialist, who was working for Scottish Power this time last year, capped a remarkable return to the game when he was named in Great Britain's four-man team for the weekend's Euro/Africa Zone tie against Ukraine.
Fleming quit tennis in 2006 to complete a first-class honours degree and he has risen to 289 in doubles rankings since coming back six months ago.
The Broxburn-born youngster will partner Ross Hutchins at Glasgow's Braehead Arena on Saturday in what will be a crucial rubber, although he has experienced playing front of a big crowd before when partnering Jamie Murray at Wimbledon.
Confidence
"I'd be speculating at the number but obviously there are quite a few people who go and watch Wimbledon," he said.
"It wasn't a show-court but there were a lot of people there.
"I'm really looking forward to playing in front of a lot of people, showing them what I can do and it's particularly nice that it's in Glasgow and Scotland."
Fleming is the only Scot in the side after British number one and world number four Andy Murray was laid low by a virus, but captain John Lloyd has every faith his inexperienced side can succeed.
"Last year, I kept seeing Colin winning these doubles tournaments - I think it was six in a row," Lloyd said.
"I knew about Colin before he'd gone back to university. He'd obviously gone off the radar.
"The team spirit has been fabulous and I don't think that will be any issue whatsoever.
"I think it will be more the other way in fact. We might have to calm some of them down and tell them to go back in the locker room and chill out a bit."
Research
The weekend's tie gets under way on Friday with the opening singles rubbers of Josh Goodall versus Illya Marchenko and Chris Eaton taking on Sergiy Stakhovsky, with the reverse matches taking place on Sunday.
And, despite being marginal outsiders with the bookmakers, Lloyd and his side have done their homework.
"All the boys have played them, doubles, singles. We've watched them a lot. Stakhovsky has obviously got a bit of class about him. He's a good player but he's by no means unbeatable," Fleming said.
"They're solid in doubles but Ross has had a couple of wins against them in doubles.
"They're good players, but nothing to have sleepless nights about, that's for sure."
