Marton Fucsovics has learnt to make light of it each time the draw gods taunt him with names this season. Truth be told, it has not been a raft of names which has given him grief, just one in particular.
The 29-year-old must have been shaking his head in disbelief at the very sight of 'A Rublev' against his name on the schedule for Manic Monday. No player has tormented him more in 2021. Rotterdam, Doha, Dubai and Miami – four times in a month he had been slated to face Andrey Rublev in a draw.
Every time the more fancied Russian advanced – three times without giving up a set, once without even taking the court as Fucsovics conceded a walkover.
The Hungarian had not scored a win since his opponent was a teenager in a Davis Cup play-off tie four years ago, and with each passing conquest he looked further than ever from closing the gap.
Incremental improvements were nowhere to be seen on the scorecard against his wiry, quick-striking foe. Pundits, though, would have been naïve to write him off too soon.
This was, after all, a surface where fond memories still flickered from his junior championship-winning run 11 years ago and this was a first meeting this year on a stage where it mattered most – at a Grand Slam – and in the ultimate mental and physical test: over five sets.
On Monday, Fucsovics prevailed 6-4, 4-6, 4-6, 6-0, 6-3 to a standing ovation on No.2 Court.
“I was not thinking about the previous matches. This one was a different match. We played on grass. I really like the surface. I think my game fits the surface very well,” Fucsovics said.
“I think Andrey's game is not the best on grass, so I just was focusing on the next points. I took my chances. I didn't give up. Then that was the key.”
The world No.48 from Nyiregyhaza is through to his first Grand Slam quarter-final, the third Hungarian man to reach as far at the All England Club, but the first since 1948 and the first at any Grand Slam in 30 years.
“I think I will become famous now in Hungary,” he grinned. “Yeah, it's a big thing, huge thing. But for the moment I'm not thinking about what will happen in Hungary, if I will be in the news or if people will talk about me.
“I learn that I have to stay on the ground, and I just have to focus on the next match, to focus on my job, not anything besides tennis. I think I became very professional in these things.”
Upsets on the biggest stages had come before, most recently over Stan Wawrinka at this year’s Australian Open and Daniil Medvedev at last year’s Roland-Garros, but never three in one campaign.
Already this Fortnight, he had taken down No.19 seed Jannik Sinner and No.9 seed Diego Schwartzman, before his two-hour, 44-minute victory over the No.5 seed.
He would need to make it four to extend his stay and that means beating reigning champion Novak Djokovic next, for the first time in three meetings.
“Obviously he is one of the greatest players. He won this tournament so many times,” he said. “He's very solid, very consistent from the baseline. He's playing one of his best tennis. He won the French Open lately, and now he's playing really good.
“This is the first time I reach the quarter-final in a Grand Slam… Hopefully I get to play on the Centre Court and I want to enjoy every moment of it.”
The Rublev riddle was solved. Now to the ultimate test, solving the Djokovic conundrum.
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