There’s one Brit at the O2 this year... and he’s not called Murray!

SALISBURY READY TO SHINE IN THE DOUBLES

GIVEN that he lodges at his sister’s flat in Peckham, Joe Salisbury will not have a long commute to London’s O2 Arena next week.

Britain’s unlikely sole representative at the ATP Finals does not have the big house in Surrey or bijou flat in south- west London handy for Wimbledon.

Salisbury beds down at his sister’s place when not away on tour, in keeping with the impecunious lifestyle of many who play on the doubles circuit.

Times are, however, changing for the 27-year- old — originally from Putney — who will emerge blinking into the spotlight at the 17,000-seat arena.

A career surge that began at Wimbledon last year has seen him and American partner Rajeev Ram qualify for the eight-team season finals, which will be without a member of the Murray family for the first time since 2013.

Until the middle of last year Salisbury was virtually unknown, even within tennis, his development held back by injuries and sporadic attacks of glandular fever.

He has never played in the Davis Cup for Great Britain and only in September turned out for Roehampton in the national club championships. He can, though, boast more than £400,000 in prize money this season after he and Ram bolted to two ATP titles.

It has been a triumph of persistence for Salisbury (below), who became mathematically certain of his place during last week’s Paris Masters.

‘I left school after GCSEs to concentrate on trying to make it as a player but it didn’t work out because I got glandular fever and a lot of injuries, so between 16 and 18 I didn’t end up playing much and did two A levels,’ he says.

‘After that I went to the University of Memphis. It’s a bit off the beaten track but the tennis was good there. It took me three years to visit Elvis’s house but I finally got round to it when my family came to visit.’ After graduating he tried to make it in singles but found it hard to get much beyond the world’s top 500. ‘ I won a Futures tournament but was still struggling with fatigue issues which was a hangover from the glandular fever. I just kept having weeks where I was completely wiped out. I couldn’t put in the training so doubles was a better option. I still have to be a bit careful but it’s fine most of the time.

‘My breakthrough was making the semi-final of Wimbledon last year (with Denmark’s Freddie Nielsen) and my ranking really jumped after that so I could then play on the main tour.’

Even his elevation into the world’s top-50 doubles players did not mean millionaire status, so he cuts his cloth accordingly.

‘I lodge with my sister and her boyfriend in Peckham. I am obviously away a lot so it makes sense,’ says Salisbury.

He and Ram, 35, will now play together in the huge arena alongside the world’s top-eight singles players, with doubles acting as the undercard for each session.

They were the opposition in the Queen’s final this year, where Andy Murray won alongside Spain’s Feliciano Lopez on his return to action. ‘ Rajeev and I get on very well. We have fairly similar game styles, some teams are very different, but we both have good serves, strong at the net.

‘ I’ve played Court No 1 at Wimbledon but I haven’t played on any of the biggest courts at the Slams.

‘Playing Andy in the Queen’s final will help and hopefully I will have a bit more support with everyone rooting for Andy. Playing at the O2 will be incredible.’