Dustin Brown engineered a shock second-round victory over Rafael Nadal that was acclaimed by John McEnroe as one of the greatest underdog performances ever witnessed at Wimbledon.
Nadal, the 2008 and 2010 winner at SW19, became the highest-profile casualty of this year's championships after slumping to a 7-5 3-6 6-4 6-4 defeat to the German Rastafarian who is ranked 102nd in the world.
Brown's unconventional style included shots that will not be found in any tennis coaching manual, but it made for a thrilling spectacle against the out-of-form Spaniard, and the grass-court specialist described the victory as the "probably the best day of my life so far".
McEnroe was effusive in his praise for the flamboyant 30-year-old's swashbuckling display on Centre Court.
"Five hundred professional tennis players are inspired to hang in for a couple of years longer because of what they have just seen there. Nothing is impossible. Brown's level of play on this court was spectacularly high," McEnroe said.
Brown was delighted with McEnroe's praise and noted that his two appearances against Nadal have both been on grass and both ended in victory.
"John said the same thing to me. It's a great feeling for him to say that - he was from the generation that was playing serve and volley, coming to the net a lot," Brown said.
"Obviously Rafa is one of the best players of the sport and for me, being able to play against him twice on my favourite surface grass is my luck.
"I'm happy I got to play him on Centre Court, win or lose. All the kids that play tennis dream about being able to play on there, it's special.
"Also being able to put that performance together, it was definitely very difficult and I'm very happy that I held it together for the whole match."
Brown cuts a charismatic and colourful figure on court, his dreadlocks, piercings and unpredictability winning the hearts and minds of fans, who also appreciate his willingness to attack the net.
While changing his T-shirt during a break, he revealed a large tattoo of a Rastafarian which he later revealed to be a picture of his father Leroy.
Brown was bought a camper van by his parents which he used to travel around European tournaments from 2004 to 2007 and was eligible to represent Britain through a grandmother, only to opt for Germany.
"I am the way I am. I've been like this all my life. Obviously it's great that people appreciate it," Brown said.
"But on the other side, if I would worry too much about what people think about everything I do, then I wouldn't have the hair and probably definitely wouldn't look the way I look.
"All of that has made me to the person I am, tennis-wise and also as a person and as a character. And I guess all that led to this day, which is obviously a great day, probably the best day of my life so far.
"I'm not trying to be a certain way. That is how I am, and always have been."
Nadal, meanwhile, was understandably downbeat.
He said: "Obviously this is a bad moment for me. I need to accept these kind of things that can happen. I have done that all my career.
"I'll keep going - it's not the end. It's a sad moment, but life continues. My career too. I have to keep going and working more than ever to try to change that dynamic.
"I know I am going to every tournament with the right motivation, working well. I think I made all the things well to prepare here this tournament.
"In 2012 and 2013 I was not competitive because I had too many problems with my knees.
"Last year and this year there have been no problems at all with my knees. I was ready to compete. I lost."
Source: PA
