Alex de Minaur launched into rapturous celebrations after halting the comeback quest of qualifier Henri Laaksonen 6-4 6-2 6-7(7) 4-6 6-3 on Wednesday night, booking an appearance in the Australian Open third round for the first time.
The 19-year-old, who lifted his first ATP title trophy in Sydney last week, claimed a straight-sets triumph over Pedro Sousa on Monday, but had to dig very deep in a five-set thriller to fend off the free-swinging world No.166.
His reward is a last 32 tussle with 17-time Grand Slam champion and world No.2 Rafael Nadal.
“That’s the first I’ve heard of him,” joked a relieved De Minaur, who was nine years old when Nadal won Australian Open 2009.
“It’s going to be incredible, just to be able to step out on court with him. I can’t wait to go out there, try and compete and just give 150 per cent.
“I got the chance to play him in Wimbledon on Centre Court. I feel like I learnt a lot from that experience,” said the home charge, who won just seven games last July.
“I just got to focus on my side of the court, have fun, just hopefully take it to him.”
In the opening set of Wednesday’s clash, a rally packed with reaction volleys enabled the 27th seed to clinch an instant break to help build a 4-2 lead.
The relentless retrieval skills of De Minaur ensured the leading Aussie light maintained his advantage to serve out a solid opener, and he continued that momentum in the second set.
The teenager rushed the world No.166 into a succession of errors to launch 4-2 again into the ascendancy.
An arrowed forehand winner down the line did the damage for another break, and the home charge posted a two-set cushion courtesy of a rapid hold.
Laaksonen, targeting a first Grand Slam third-round ticket, was gifted a route back by a loose game from De Minaur. The Swiss started swinging freely, and jumped 4-2 in front.
The teenager immediately responded, piercing groundstrokes reeled in the Swiss mistakes, and a huge roar from De Minaur echoed around Margaret Court Arena with the set back on serve.
A turbulent and tense tiebreak ensued, with De Minaur having a match point cancelled out by his inspired opponent.
Instead, Laaksonen connected with a drive volley forehand winner to convert his third set point. The 26-year-old was rewarded for a more adventurous brand of tennis, striking 20 winners and succeeding in 12 of 15 forays to the net.
The Swiss carried that wave of momentum into the fourth set, hammering a forehand down the line to chalk up an immediate break.
The archetypal ‘Demon’ spirit was called into action, with De Minaur levelling for 3-3, before holding from 0-40 down.
However, the 27th seed’s usual consistency continued to fluctuate and Laaksonen kept probing, with a blistering backhand pass igniting his charge towards the decider.
“I weathered the storm and I didn’t want to lose,” stated De Minaur, revealing his thoughts ahead of the fifth set.
“I had to make sure I composed myself, mentally reset for the last set. I had to try not to get down on myself and fight for every ball.”
The rallies intensified, and so did the volume in MCA.
A gruelling 32-shot rally culminated with the Swiss framing a backhand wide, prompting the home favourite to orchestrate the crowd into a cacophony of noise. Once again the qualifier struck back, restoring scoreboard parity for 3-3.
But De Minaur was not to be denied. Covering his head with a towel at the next changeover, the Aussie prodigy desperately tried to remain calm.
It worked as the Blue Wall returned a serve off the tip of his racquet to gain a chance, and Laaksonen snapped, netting a forehand drive. From there it was up to De Minaur to serve out an exhausting but captivating match.
With nearly four hours on the clock, the teenager burst into fist-pumping celebrations, the relief was palpable, as his towels and shoes flew into the crowd as thanks to his legion of fans.
“I could do this every day of the year,” said De Minaur, hailing the home support. “There is nothing better than playing in front of you guys whether it is one hour, two hours, five or 10. I just love it.
"That was pretty special. I want to thank you all for staying out here. The support was amazing and you definitely got me through that one. I can’t thank you enough.”
Despite the energy-sapping clash, the 19-year-old is certain he will recover sufficiently to tackle Nadal on Friday.
“I'm actually feeling good. I thought physically I handled the situation really well. I felt like the whole body was feeling good,” De Minaur said.
“This is why you do the hard work in the pre-season, for matches like this, to be able to feel strong and feel confident in yourself physically. That also helps you out there on court mentally.
“It's going to be fun for me to get out on court again and be able to test where I am.”