Dylan Alcott came through a near three-hour epic in his opening match at AO 2022, his last tournament before he ends his storied tennis career.
Facing young Dutch rival Niels Vink, world No.1 Alcott rebounded after the loss of the first set to complete a 6-7(1) 6-4 6-2 triumph at Kia Arena.
The win sends him through to the semifinals of the quad wheelchair singles event, where he will face Brit Andy Lapthorne, a former world No.2 and long-time Alcott rival.
Also advancing on Sunday to the last four were Alcott's fellow Australian and doubles partner Heath Davidson, who beat Japan's Koji Sugeno to set up a showdown with second seed Sam Schroder, a straight-sets winner over David Wagner.
MORE: All the scores from Day 7 at AO 2022
Alcott has won the past seven Australian Open singles titles, and entered this year following a simply stunning 2021 season, during which he completed the Golden Grand Slam – winning all four major tournaments plus Paralympic gold.
Along that journey he came face-to-face with Vink in the semifinals of the Tokyo Paralympics, and Sunday's match was a similarly gruelling three-set battle against the 19-year-old.
"He's a little legend, isn't he? So good. I think when the new rankings come out tomorrow, he won last week, he's No.2 in the world. So for the No.1 and No.2 in the world to play each other in the first round is unusual, but great win," Alcott said.
"(Going for the) golden slam was like, 'it's just another match', and it is another match, but I kind of lent into that a bit.
"Here, I was kind of like, do I lean in too much (to the fact it's my last event), and then it's too much of a big deal and then you can't play? But I probably didn't lean in enough until (I realised) 'this is awesome, let's rip it up one last time'.
"So I'm going to lean in from now on."
In an atmospheric battle, Alcott gradually adjusted to the environment and the occasion, urging himself to "get up!" in a bid to focus and fire up his energy levels.
The Aussie came out on top of the all-important second set, where momentum fluctuated and service breaks were common.
Signs of Vink's potential were obvious, especially in his heavy forehand that produced multiple winners.
But he sprayed far more errors than Alcott – ending the match with 32 to Alcott's 18 – and faded physically as the third set played out.
In the end, Alcott was able to hold of his young rival one last time, after two hours and 44 minutes.
"I think in life, not just in tennis, you've just got to find a way sometimes," Alcott explained.
"Like in everything that I do, if I want to do something I just find a way to do it. On the tennis court I'm exactly the same. Like wasn't the best I have played tonight, but I found a way.
"I kind of ran away with it at the end there because I just kind of kept going, kept going, kept going. I was proud of myself, proud of our team, what we were able to do.
"But, yeah, I was cooked there, I thought I was done. I thought I was about to put on the retirement video.
"So to fight on and get through to the semifinal now is pretty cool."
Like Alcott, Diede De Groot completed a Golden Grand Slam in 2021 and carried her form into the new year's first major.
The Dutch world No.1 opened her AO 2022 singles campaign with a 6-2 6-1 win over Dana Mathewson, and plays British wildcard Lucy Shuker for a place in her fourth final at Melbourne Park.
De Groot's countrywoman Aniek Van Koot stunned No.2 seed Yui Kamiji 7-5 7-5 in the opening round and will face Kgothatso Montjane in the other semifinal.
Meanwhile, all four first-round matches in the men's wheelchair singles tournament were decided in straight sets.
Top seed Shingo Kunieda beat defending champion Joachim Gerard 6-4 6-2 to set up a semifinal with Tom Egberink, who beat Australian wildcard Ben Weekes 6-1 6-1.
No.2 seed Alfie Hewett beat Gustavo Fernandez 6-1 7-6(2) and will take on Stephane Houdet for a place in the final.
Houdet beat Hewett's fellow Brit and doubles partner Gordon Reid 6-4 6-1.