Toby Samuel living dream with 'amazing' Wimbledon qualifying win over Antoine Bellier

Toby Samuel revelled in a dream Wimbledon debut after the wildcard prevailed in his opening round match at Wimbledon qualifying. Bournemouth player Samuel, ranked No .543 in the world, was a significant underdog for his match against Antoine Bellier, with the Swiss ranked No. 291 in the ATP Rankings.

Ad However, it was the Brit who consistently looked the better player in Roehampton on Monday afternoon, dictating play throughout. WimbledonExclusive: 'Confident' Djokovic 'definitely the favourite' for Wimbledon — Robson2 HOURS AGO And it was the 20-year-old who ultimately picked up a deserved victory, prevailing 6-4 7-6(5) in just an hour and six minutes to reach the second round. «It's one of the best feelings I've ever had,» said Samuel.

«It's my first ever Wimbledon, playing against a great player. I think I went out there with no pressure, just played my game and played loose, and in the end I came out on top — which is amazing. »You can't play your best if you're not enjoying it.

That's why I started playing and I'm going to keep enjoying it throughout my career, as that helps me play my best." Samuel has played a lot of doubles on grass courts in recent weeks alongside Connor Thomson, reaching the semi-final of the LTA's Rothesay Open Nottingham and quarter-finals of the LTA's Lexus Surbiton Trophy. And he credited his doubles experience for improving his overall game, and one aspect in particular that he believed proved crucial in his win over Bellier on Monday. Robson: 'No reason' for 'amazing' Murray to retire Is Alcaraz biggest threat to Djokovic at Wimbledon? He added: «I'm really happy with my volleys.