Cameron Norrie has withdrawn from Great Britain’s Davis Cup tie against Ecuador this weekend due to arm discomfort he experienced during a practice session. Norrie, the British number two, will be replaced in Saturday’s singles by Toby Samuel, who is ranked 95 in the world. Davis Cup captain Leon Smith told BBC Sport that Norrie struggled to accelerate on the ball as he wanted, but the issue was not serious. Despite that, the team decided to replace him to ensure the best possible performance. Great Britain has not reached the knockout stage of the Davis Cup since 2023 and is currently fielding an inexperienced team. Several key players, including Jack Draper, Jan Choinski, and Jacob Fearnley, are unavailable due to injury or personal reasons. This means Samuel will make his Davis Cup debut against Ecuador’s Andres Andrade in Saturday’s first singles match, followed by Arthur Fery, the British number one, who will play against Alvaro Guillen Meza. Both Ecuadorian players are ranked outside the world’s top 200, but Fery has only previously played for Great Britain in Poland last September. Smith acknowledged that the lack of experience was a concern, but he also noted that players like Neal Skupski, who has 16 years of Davis Cup experience, are on the team to help guide the younger players. He expressed confidence in Arthur Fery, Toby Samuel, and the doubles team, saying that if they perform as they did over the summer, the team has a good chance of progressing. Harry Wendelken, ranked 175 in the world, has also joined the team in Norrie’s absence as a practice partner. Ecuador may be considered underdogs, but they have previously beaten stronger teams. They defeated Australia in the first qualifying round in February and have also won on British soil before, beating a team that included former British stars Tim Henman and Greg Rusedski in 2000. Great Britain aims to reach the quarter-finals for the first time since 2023, and if they win this weekend, they will join three-time defending champions Italy in the final eight stage in Bologna from 24 to 29 November. Smith said the team is eager to take this opportunity and believes they have a good chance despite the challenges they face.