If Rubin Statham is feeling the pressure ahead of New Zealand's Davis Cup match against Korea this weekend, he is certainly not showing it.
Statham has seen and done it all wearing the silver fern, having played more Davis Cup ties (31) than any other Kiwi, setting a record forsingles wins (26) in the process.
The 34-year-old will again be the singles spearhead, but this encounter presents new challenges.
It's on grass and at a neutral venue, the International Tennis Hall of Fame in Newport.
Statham has had a fractured build-up, with minimal top level play over the past 12 months due to Covid challenges, and will face two top Korean players, including World No 83 Soonwoo Kwon.
His singles teammate will be a Cup rookie – with Finn Reynolds and Isaac Becroft picked for this tie, ahead of more experienced contenders, which places more expectation on his shoulders.
It's a fair weight, considering the winner of this tie could progress to the prestigious World Group qualifiers.
"There is always a lot of pressure, playing Davis Cup, playing for your country not just playing for yourself," said Statham. "We have got three veterans here and two younger guys. It's a great dynamic and we are working well together. [It's about] just managing the pressure and expectation and stepping up on the days that we play."
Statham warmed up with a tournament in Florida last week, with six matches to garner valuable court time.
But grass will be another challenge, as Statham hasn't played on the surface for almost a decade. The court at Newport has been relaid and isn't as lush or quick as Queens or Wimbledon but is still an adjustment.
"It takes a little while to get used to it," said Statham. "It's somewhat like a faster, slicker hard court but it is a bit different. We came up here Sunday, had four or five days to prepare and adjust your timing to the grass court. We are getting there."
Michael Venus and Marcus Daniell after winning bronze at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. Photo / Photosport
A trump card should be the doubles, with Michael Venus and Marcus Daniell backing up after their remarkable Olympic bronze in Tokyo.
"That gave us confidence," said Daniell. "Mike and I spent a lot of time on court in Tokyo and got to know each other's game and personalities a lot more. But we can't take them lightly. In Davis Cup anything can happen."
But New Zealand, as is often the case, will be underdogs from a singles perspective.
Reynolds and Becroft are promising talents but don't have ATP rankings and it's a considerable step up from American college tennis. Statham, who has a protected ATP ranking of No 290 after injury, has plenty of experience but has had a long time off the circuit.
Kwon has claimed a number of top-100 scalps this year, including former US Open finalist Kevin Anderson, and reached the semifinals on the grass at Eastbourne, while also winning matches on the lawn at Wimbledon and Nottingham.
Duckhee Lee is world No 367 – but has been as high as No 130 – while Ji Sung Nam is No 341.
"It's about taking one match at a time, one set at a time, one point at a time," said Venus.
"The last two times [against Korea] has come down to the last match. It's always been close."
Captain Christophe Lambert said the team have prepared well, and they are expecting strong support from the club members at the ITHF.
"We are highly motivated, even if we are not the best team on paper, psychologically we are pretty strong," said Lambert. "I have been looking at the Korean team since the beginning of the week - they are starting to [look] tired. They are also young; they can be tight and we are going to play on that."
