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Cameron Norrie won the biggest victory of his career to date after defeating former world number one Rafael Nadal at the United Cup for Great Britain in Sydney.
The British number one beat Nadal 3-6 6-3 6-4 at a sold-out Ken Rosewell Arena to give England a 1-0 lead over Spain in the first mixed international team competition.
Norrie had previously lost all four meetings against Nadal, but produced a comeback from a set down.
Norrie has had a good start to the tennis season, defeating Alex de Minaur in his opening match as England beat Australia 3-2 in their opening match.
Nadal was playing his first match since the ATP finals in November and the Spaniard showed great agility to cover the court in the first set, hitting a stunning forehand to advance.
The 36-year-old struggled to keep level as the match wore on, as Norrie increased his intensity to beat the Spaniard in a brutal exchange.
Norrie broke Nadal in the sixth game of the second set and continued to dominate the decider, saving two break points while leading 3-2 before holding his nerve to clinch a statement win.
Nadal made his first appearance on the court since the ATP Finals in November
After the match, he said: “It was crazy. I thought I wasn’t going to win the set before (against Nadal) and I went out first wanting to do it.
“I had to stay super-patient. It was a super-physical match and I was happy. It was huge to go through that one and finally beat him.
“He beat me easily in the last few moments, so it was a good way to end the year for me. It was a crazy atmosphere, thank you.
England’s Katie Swan will look to extend England’s 2-0 lead in Group D action when she faces Nuria Parrizas Diaz in the final match of the day.
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