Cameron Norrie booked Great Britain's place in the Davis Cup Finals as Leon Smith's team secured a 3-1 win over Colombia at the Pueblo Viejo Country Club.
The Wimbledon semi-finalist marched to a 6-4 6-4 victory over Nicolas Mejia to seal the deal for GB, who overcame tough conditions and the absence of their supporters to see off the dogged Colombians.
GB had got off to the worst possible start on Friday with Dan Evans's defeat to world number 253 Mejia, before Norrie levelled matters for GB against Nicolas Barrientos.
Evans and Neal Skupski then put GB on the brink of qualification by beating Juan Sebastian Cabal and Robert Farah in the doubles encounter, before Norrie avenged Evans by beating Mejia in two hours and five minutes.
Nothing could separate Norrie and an inspired Mejia - roared on by the ever-vocal crowd - in the first six games, but Norrie got to deuce on the Colombian's serve in the seventh game before earning the first break.
However, Mejia was not giving up the ghost and broke back straight away against the world number 11, who saved three break points before a second double fault of the game handed the Colombian a fourth opportunity, which he gleefully took.
The moment @cam_norrie sealed a spot in the @DavisCup Finals Group Stages 🙌#BackTheBrits 🇬🇧 | #DavisCup pic.twitter.com/EvKXJDQdhz
— LTA (@the_LTA) February 4, 2023
Despite the initial elation, it was then Mejia's turn to bring up an untimely double fault as Norrie immediately broke again for a 5-4 lead, and he backed it up with a love hold to take the first set.
Both players had eight unforced errors to their name in the first set, but Norrie was significantly down on the winners count, only hitting three compared to eight for Mejia.
The searing backhand would soon come to the fore for the Brit in the second set, where he broke in game five before another love hold brought up a healthy two-game advantage.
More unforced errors on the Mejia side made the Colombian's task all the more difficult, but Norrie could not take his first match point on Mejia's serve in the ninth game.
The Colombian would come through another nervy hold and force Norrie to serve out the match, but the British number one had no trouble doing so, witnessing Mejia return wide before those in navy blue bounced in jubilation on the Colombian clay.
Ben Knapton
