As Stan Wawrinka taps his right index finger against his head in triumph, he points assuredly towards his crew.
It’s his go-to post-match celebration of old, a nod to his mental strength, which on Monday proved telling in avenging a US Open defeat to Russia’s leading man, Daniil Medvedev.
MORE: Wawrinka rallies to run down Medvedev
This was an opponent John McEnroe had hyped as the most likely to break the Big Three’s grip on the majors this season.
Write the three-time Grand Slam champion off at your peril.
The waving finger salute to his long-time coach Magnus Norman and new part-time coach Dani Vallverdu was the collective “we told them so”.
Through to his 17th Grand Slam quarterfinal, much of Wawrinka’s late-career revival can be attributed to his mental work beyond the physical rehabilitation.
“You work to accept to suffer, you work to accept to push yourself always,” Wawrinka said. “There's many, many things that you can do to improve your mindset.
“I know that since the end of last year after the off-season, I took few days off for myself, thinking a little bit more about what I wanted for next year, the way I want it.
“Those moments you need always to be honest with yourself. You cannot hide. You cannot lie to yourself.
“Then when you know what you want, you have to put the work on it. That's what I'm doing. Hopefully I can keep doing it the full year.”
The Australian Open 2014 champion returned from a pair of left knee surgeries only two months after reaching his fourth Grand Slam final at Roland Garros in 2017.
The comeback, if not spectacular, had seen him mount steady climb back into the top 20.
Then came flashes of Wawrinka’s best at Flushing Meadows last September, when he outplayed top seed Novak Djokovic for two sets before the Serbian retired three games later with left shoulder pain in the fourth round.
While there was a distinct caveat to that victory, there was no question mark over his comeback from two sets to one down against the 23-year-old fourth seed on Monday.
After three and a half hours, his 71 winners carried him past Medvedev for the first time in five meetings.
“I think last time I play so well was before the surgery,” Wawrinka said. “I think for sure, I feel since the off-season my level is really high.
“Physically I'm moving better than last year. So I'm improving.”
And while it came as a surprise to some, the 34-year-old was in no doubt he still had what it took to become a force in the majors in 2020.
“I have been practicing really hard. I've been feeling great on the court, on the practice court, good session, putting a lot of work physically and tennis-wise,” he said. “The week before here, I was really feeling at the top level.”
As the only man in the past 14 years other than the Big Three to win the Australian Open, Wawrinka must claim his first win in four meetings with No.7 seed Alexander Zverev to book a fourth semifinal appearance at Melbourne Park in seven years.
Where the German has typically struggled on the Grand Slam stages having never reached a semifinal, Wawrinka has shone.
“Stan is a Grand Slam champion, multiple Grand Slam champion. It's going to be very difficult playing against him,” Zverev said.
“He showed why he's a Grand Slam champion, beating Medvedev, coming back from two-sets-to-one down, playing great tennis.
“He's still one of the toughest players to play, especially here in Australia.”
Wawrinka has accepted the suffering to climb this far back.
Expect the signature thinking-man salute should he defy another lopsided ledger at Melbourne Park.