Ice-cool Rinky Hijikata has come up trumps in a thrilling match tiebreak, sending No.1 Court into a frenzy as he pulled off a stunning last-gasp winner to send himself and newly-found Dutch partner David Pel into the Wimbledon men's doubles final.
The 24-year-old Sydneysider continued the nation's rich tradition in the event as his heroics in the shootout, which also enabled the makeshift team to save two match points against the top seeds, ensured Hijikata became the fifth Australian to reach the men's doubles final in the last 10 editions.
He's following in the footsteps of John Peers, Matt Ebden, Max Purcell, who's made it twice, and Jordan Thompson in reaching Saturday's showdown against British pair Julian Cash and Lloyd Glasspool.
And Hijikata got there on match point amid a sizzling atmosphere on a hot day on No.1 Court by playing the most brilliant running forehand winner cross-court deep into the opposition tramlines to seal the deal in just under three hours.
Pointing to his arm as he screamed in delight before being hoisted aloft by his partner, Hijikata explained later: "I was telling them that, yeah, I've got ice in my veins. I think we came up with some good stuff when we needed to."
Hijikata had also come up big to save two match points in the breaker at 9-7 down and his astonishing winner concluded the 6-7 (2-7) 7-6 (7-5) 7-6 [11-9] victory over top seeds, El Salvador's Marcelo Arevalo and Croatian Mate Pavic.
It marked another unlikely chapter in a story that began when the pair, who'd never even spoken to each other before teaming up, signed in as 'alternates' for the event.
They only got in when another combination withdrew, and went on to save two match points in their first round against No.8 seeds Andre Goransson and Sem Verbeek, before then defeating No.3 seeds Kevin Krawietz and Tim Puetz in the third round.
"It's crazy," Hijikata said, recalling how they only got together by chance as he'd once vaguely recalled playing against Pel in a doubles match.
"I remembered he had a big serve, was a lefty, and was really good on the grass, so I was like, may as well see if he's interested in playing. And now here we are. It's worked out unbelievably."
Now Hijikata, winner of the Australian Open with compatriot Jason Kubler two years ago, will be hoping for a double triumph and to go one better than the Thompson-Purcell team, who had held match points before losing, agonisingly, in last year's Wimbledon final.
But while Hijikata's great adventure continues, Emerson Jones' hopes of going one better than last year when she reached the girls' final quickly evaporated as Gold Coast's 17-year-old world junior No.1 was defeated by Slovakian Mia Pohankova 6-2 6-2 in the quarter-finals.
