Jack Draper had never played a match like his Australian Open round, nor felt the same mix of guilt and elation when it came to the handshake.
Approaching the net he semi-apologised to the vanquished Marcos Giron and then promptly ran off to throw up in a courtside rubbish bin.
‘I kind of felt bad because I just beat the guy, and I was saying, I need to shake your hand, mate, but I need to get to that bin,’ recounted Draper following an arduous 6-4 3-6 6-4 6-0 6-2 victory which had pushed him to the limit in sweltering temperatures.
Now he faces American Tommy Paul, a semi-finalist here twelve months ago, and the number fourteen seed.
He is the same player the 21-year-old from Surrey comfortably beat en route to the final of the Adelaide International last week, and Paul’s task is unlikely to be any easier after what felt like a watershed performance from the coming star of British men’s tennis.
This is Draper’s seventh Grand Slam event, but never before had he gone the full five sets with anyone. Once Giron had taken a 2-1 lead that would be a requirement to win, and the strapping southpaw from Leatherhead was just about equal to it.
With temperatures nudging into the early thirties, it was the first serious testing day of the fortnight, and when Draper needed to have his blood pressure checked after set two you feared the worst.
Later, however, he attributed to his post-match vomiting more to the mental dimension of competing in one of the world’s biggest tournaments, and the extra desire to succeed.
He will need to learn from it quickly if he is to take out Paul, who has been one of the most consistent performers at Grand Slams over the past twelve months.
‘I don't usually get sick, not ever. I think it's weird,’ said the British number four. ‘ It wasn't that long for a five-set match. I played three hours 40 last week in hotter conditions, and I was physically absolutely fine.
‘I think it was more kind of psychological stress today that was causing my fatigue rather than the physical nature because I felt better in the fifth set than I did the first.
‘You do have that anxiety when you are playing a lot is going on. It's hot. There's sort of no way out from the court. You have to suffer to win the points.
‘Every player feels it, and every player has different kinds of ways they struggle with it, whether it's someone getting tight on their forehand, or it might be their movement starts to go a little bit.
‘For me, it feels like my breathing starts to struggle, and I can't get the oxygen in me. I'm still a young player, so getting used to the environment around these Slams and the tension is difficult.
‘I'm nowhere near where I want to be, but it's coming. For sure I would have cramped in these matches last year, even maybe four months ago. I think it will help a lot, coming through this match.’
