Jamie Baker knows he has a lot to live up to as he heads into the new year aiming to make his senior breakthrough onto the cut-throat ATP Tour.

Baker watched his fellow Scot and childhood friend Andy Murray zoom more than 400 places up the world rankings in 2005 to gatecrash the world's top hundred.

For the time being at least Baker - who at 19 is actually just over a year older than Murray - has been left in the shade.

But, after a consistent season on the Futures circuit earned him a creditable world ranking of 367, Baker has a firm base from which to emulate his increasingly famous friend.

Baker first began to attract mainstream attention when he reached the quarter-finals of junior Wimbledon in 2004.

And the rave reviews from those who matter most paid off earlier this year when he was named as a non-playing team member of Jeremy Bates' Davis Cup squad which travelled to Switzerland for a World Group qualifying tie.

Like Murray, Baker is beginning to reap the rewards of choosing to pursue success the hard way.

He gave up the easier option of a place within the Lawn Tennis Association's established London operation to go with Murray to learn the basics in Barcelona.

Returning to Britain, Baker alternated his time between Nottingham and the Scottish National Tennis Centre in Scotland.

Baker's ambition paid off as he reached number six in the world junior rankings before his bid to make it in the big time prompted him to turn his attention to ATP events.

During a hectic 2005 Baker won a Futures event in Guanajuanto, Mexico, and also reached semi-finals or better in Ankara, Joplin and Illinois.

Baker and Murray have clearly both come a long way from the days when they used to hit balls across their mothers' kitchen tables using cereal boxes as bats.

But as he begins the daunting process of attempting to emulate his friend, much bigger things are expected of Baker in 2006 - not least from the man himself.