As the epic Wimbledon semifinal between Jasmine Paolini and Donna Vekic approached the three-hour mark, it was inevitably going to be ecstasy for one, and agony for another.
Ultimately, Paolini’s joyous celebration contrasted sharply with Vekic’s devastation.
At 28 years old, Vekic had overcome a series of career-threatening injuries to reach her first Grand Slam semifinal this fortnight.
Against Paolini she burst out of the blocks with a brilliant first-set display, held break points in the third and fifth game of the second, and twice led by a break in the final set.
Even when Paolini arrived at match points, Vekic would not wilt, saving the second with a forehand winner to conclude an unforgettable rally.
She got incredibly close in the final set tiebreak, too, when she nudged ahead 8-7.
But it was Paolini who prevailed, celebrating wildly after surviving in two hours, 51 minutes – the longest women’s semifinal in Wimbledon history.
Vekic looked completely spent as she departed Centre Court to huge cheers, and applause from her opponent. And her heartbreak was clear as she attended her post-match press conference.
“It was a tough, tough match. I believed that I could win until the end,” Vekic said.
“She played some amazing tennis. All congrats to her. She definitely deserved it.
“My team tells me that I can be proud of myself. It's tough right now. It's really tough. For sure I will need to take couple of days to see everything.
“I don't know, it's tough to be positive right now. It was so close. I had a lot of chances.”
It was incredible she had created those chances, given what she was experiencing physically during the match.
Vekic arrived in the semifinals having already won four of her five matches in three sets, including her past three in a row.
She needed almost three hours to see off Australian Open semifinalist Dayana Yastremska in the third round, overcame Paula Badosa in an intense fourth-round clash, and rebounded from a set down to end the fairytale run of Kiwi qualifier Lulu Sun.
Her exertions became apparent in the second set, where she was managing forearm pain with ice as her shot speeds on that wing declined.
Somehow, she tapped into a well of physical reserves in the final set, but at certain points was visibly weeping as she dealt with pain, plus the challenge of a persistent Paolini.
Vekic ultimately saved two match points, but a third was beyond her.
“Sometimes it can help (releasing emotion on court). My tears were not because I was... I mean, I was more crying because I had so much pain, I didn't know how I could keep playing,” Vekic revealed.
“I thought I was going to die in the third set. I had so much pain in my arm, in my leg.
“It was not easy out there, but I will recover.”
The former world No.19, currently ranked 37th, is projected to return to the brink of the top 20 in next week’s WTA rankings.