Guido Pella is carving out a niche for cutting down finalists at The Championships.
A year after charging back from two sets down to fell the 2017 runner-up, Marin Cilic, on No.1 Court, the left-handed Argentine has struck again.
On Friday, it was Centre Court and his latest victim was the 2018 runner-up, the No.4 seed, Kevin Anderson.
The 6-4, 6-3, 7-6(4) victory booked Pella’s maiden appearance in the second week at a Grand Slam.
“I don’t know how to describe this moment because this match was unbelievable for me,” Pella told the BBC. “First two sets were unbelievable for me. He started to play much better but, in the end, I was focused for the entire match and it was amazing.
“My mind is in the right place. I’m playing much more aggressive than previous years. Groundstrokes much better and confidence – if you win matches on the ATP tour every day it gets better… Now, to be in the second week is an unbelievable feeling.”
As was the case 12 months ago, there was little to indicate the Argentine was poised to make a run on the grass at the All England Club. He had lost his opening matches in both lead-up events last month.
But against Anderson, he met an opponent who was playing in only his fifth tournament of the season, having struggled with a chronic elbow injury.
The big South African, after reaching his second Grand Slam final at Wimbledon last year, had withdrawn from three hard-court tournaments in succession, following a second-round Australian Open defeat in January. He was forced to skip the entire clay-court swing.
Where a little rust had been expected in Anderson’s opening round against the dangerous Frenchman, Pierre-Hugues Herbert, none was to be found. Nor in a four set send-off of former top tenner, Janko Tipsarevic, in his second round.
He had not dropped his serve at this year’s Championships. Until he ran into Pella.
A wild forehand, whipped long, offered the Argentine two set points on Anderson’s serve at 4-5 in the opening set of this, the pair’s first encounter. An ace and a thumping overhead winner saved both.
But after set point No.3 was dismissed with a heavy winner down the line, the set was surrendered with a netted forehand, ending the South African’s run of 38 straight service holds.
The serve that had been impenetrable all week was swiftly broken twice in succession as Pella raced into a 3-0 lead in the second set.
Anderson managed to salvage the break back but Pella again converted for the chance to serve for a two-set lead.
The Argentine needed only one chance. A shanked return left Anderson languishing at two sets to love down and, for the second year running, he would have to conjure a remarkable comeback from two sets down. Last year, it came against defending champion Roger Federer, no less, and from match point down.
Pella looked to be in trouble when Anderson stepped up his play to create two break points at two-all in the third. But the South African’s abysmal conversation rate – just one out of nine break point opportunities in the entire match - continued.
Anderson raised his level, but deep into the third set tie-break, a body-jamming serve from Pella moved the 29-year-old to within two points of victory.
A lunging backhand volley from Anderson delayed the inevitable, but the Argentine came out on top of an extraordinary seven-volley exchange, which brought him to his knees and the Centre Court crowd to their feet, to create two match points. He sealed it with a backhand volley winner a point later.
“Yeah, unbelievable, but it was one of those days, that point belonged to me,” Pella said. “I was 5-4 serving for match. I was so tight, so it was an amazing feeling, an unbelievable point.”
Twelve months ago, following his upset of No.3 seed Cilic, Pella reflected of his relationship with grass: “It’s not my favourite surface, but I am trying to improve.”
A maiden fourth round appearance at a Grand Slam – and two top 10 Wimbledon scalps – later, it might be time to re-evaluate that assessment.
He has beaten Wimbledon’s past two losing finalists. And he could make it a hat-trick, with 2016 runner-up Milos Raonic next.