For one set at Queen's Club it looked as though Jordan Thompson would continue Australia's sporting hold in England this week with victory over British No.1 Cameron Norrie.
On Tuesday, while Australia were going 1-0 up in the Ashes, Alex de Minaur was putting out five-times Queen's champion Andy Murray in straight sets.
Thompson, battle-hardened after a solid year and a string of victories, including over Stefanos Tsitsipas in Indian Wells in March, served superbly on Wednesday to win the first set 6-4.
He sent down nine aces in the first set alone, and three in a row to cement a crucial break of serve in the seventh game, secured with a shoulder-height, cross-court backhand winner.
Thompson, the world No.76, has enjoyed notable success at Queen's in the past, knocking out Murray in 2017. He also beat fellow Aussie Alexei Popyrin in the first round on Monday.
But the 29-year-old's forehand began to falter in the second set as Norrie broke for 4-2 on his way to levelling the match.
Norrie, the No.5 seed at Queen's, lost just five more games in a 4-6 6-3 6-2 victory, though he had to save three break points as he served for the match.
Norrie praised Thompson's contribution to an entertaining match in the build up to Wimbledon.
"I think it was the perfect match. Jordan really likes the grass and he played a really solid first set.
"He played a couple of good points to break me and I played a couple of loose points and that was the difference.
"I thought I'd played great, so I didn't have to change too much. He dropped his level slightly, I came up with a few points - it was classic grass-court tennis.
"I came out with a lot of energy in the third set and that was the difference - that's what got me through. It was a lot of fun."
Norrie had been due to play doubles with Andy Murray later on Wednesday evening but the two-time Wimbledon champion withdrew through fatigue following his defeat by De Minaur.
On Thursday, De Minaur will play Argentina's Diego Schwartzman for a place alongside Norrie in the quarter-finals.
Rising star and No.2 seed Holger Rune, of Denmark, brushed aside local hope Ryan Peniston 6-3 6-4.
However, Frances Tiafoe’s winning run on grass was ended by Sebastian Korda in an all-American clash.
Korda won 7-6 (7-2) 6-3 to end the No.4 seed's bid to follow up his title in Stuttgart last week with another grass-court trophy.
Meanwhile, at the Halle Open in Germany, Daniil Medvedev continued to build momentum as he moved into the quarterfinals by beating Serbia's Laslo Djere 6-3 6-7 (7-5) 6-3.
Medvedev next faces Roberto Bautista Agut, who beat American Brandon Nakashima 7-5 7-6 (7-2) in the second round.
Chile's Nicolas Jarry upset Stefanos Tsitsipas, the No.2 seed, 7-6 (9-7) 7-5 to set up a quarter-final against home favourite Alexander Zverev. He beat Canada's Denis Shapovalov 6-2 6-4.
With agencies
