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Giant Pole Jerzy Janowicz played a key role in relegating Great Britain to the third tier of Davis Cup tennis last weekend and impressed Tennis Spy in the process.

Full name: Jerzy Janowicz

Nationality: Polish (born in Lodz)

Age: 18 (DOB: 13/11/1990)

World Ranking: 356

Career highlights: 2007 US Open boys' singles finalist. 2008 French Open boys' singles finalist. Represented Poland in Davis Cup.

General: Poland came to Liverpool for their Davis Cup tie with Great Britain as an unheralded side, but in Janowicz they have a player who looks destined for big things. Janowicz comfortably disposed of Dan Evans in his opening rubber, and while he lost to Andy Murray in straight sets in the reverse singles, he showed enough against the world number three to suggest he is not a million miles away from becoming a very good player. Janowicz has not come out of nowhere though. He has enjoyed a strong junior career, reaching the junior finals of both the US and French Opens. His performance at Roland Garros in 2008 was particularly impressive as he beat Jonathan Eysseric (who took Murray to five sets in the main draw that year) and highly-rated Bulgarian Grigor Dimitrov (see link under picture for his Tennis Spy). He also relishes the Davis Cup and beat former top 20 player Max Mirnyi on his debut in Belarus.

Strengths: Janowicz has a big serve to match his massive frame and already can fire bombs around the 140 m/ph mark. His best shot though is his forehand, which he can fizz into either corner with great pace and accuracy. The way he shapes his body to launch into the forehand is reminiscent of Fernando Gonzalez, who has one of the best forehands in the game. His movement is also quite good for such a big man and he seems able to adapt to different surfaces.

Weaknesses: While Janowicz's serve is massive, it is quite erratic and he needs to find more accuracy and consistency to take full advantage of such a big weapon. His volleying also needs improvement. If he can add a serve and volley aspect to his game then he could be dangerous on grass. His backhand is not too bad but not as good as his forehand, and again there is room for improvement. He is also still growing and taking shape so the right regime in the gym will help make the most of his potential.

Prospects: Janowicz is a smoother player than most players his size - more Tomas Berdych than Ivo Karlovic - and he has the potential to reach similar heights as the Czech player. The top 10 is not an unrealistic aim. He might be a bit too one dimensional to become a Grand Slam winner but Poland have certainly found themselves a very good player indeed.

Personal: Started playing tennis aged five. His nickname is JJ. Coached by Jakub Ulczynski. Played tennis at the AZS Lodz club. During the recent Davis Cup tie against Great Britain he was listed as being 6' 6" by the Guardian; 6' 7" by the Mail; and 6' 8" by The Sun.

Seán Fay / Eurosport