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Ash Barty and Ajla Tomljanovic have set up the first all-Australian women's quarter-final at Wimbledon for 41 years after winning on the last 'Manic Monday'.
Ash Barty and Ajla Tomljanovic have set up an historic singles quarter-final at Wimbledon - the first to be contested by two Australian women for 41 years.
World No.1 Barty, as expected, lived up to her No.1 seeding by defeating French Open champion Barbora Krejcikova 7-5 6-3 on No.1 court on Monday.
Later in the evening, Tomljanovic also prevailed on the same showcourt, putting on a professional display against British teenager star Emma Raducanu to lead 6-3 3-0 before the youngster earned her sympathy - and an entire nation's - by having to withdraw with a breathing problem.
It left the two top players in women's tennis in Australia, both based in Queensland, to play each other for the very first time, even though they've been friends and trained plenty of times together.
Their victories meant that Australian tennis will be able to enjoy on Thursday the sight of their first women's semi-finalist at Wimbledon since 2000 when Jelena Dokic lost to American Lindsay Davenport.
The last time two Aussie women met in the last-eight at SW19 was in 1980 when Evonne Goolagong Cawley beat Wendy Turnbull in straight sets.
But there'll have to be a quick turnaround for the pair who will meet on Centre Court in the last-eight on Tuesday, which on the face of it would appear a disadvantage for Tomljanovic, whose late match only finished at 9.15pm, nearly seven hours later than Barty's.
The prospect of the big match left both of them thrilled.
"I'm just happy to share the court with Ash tomorrow. I always talk so highly of her because it's really what I think," said Tomljanovic, who has reached her first-ever grand slam quarter after a decade on the circuit
"Tomorrow, I know I'm going to have to bring everything I've got to potentially win.
"And just the whole surroundings of the Centre Court, I think it's going to be special no matter what.
"When I hear about history with other players (like the Goolgong-Turnbull semi-final), I always think it's really cool. I've just never been in a position to be part of it. When I look back I'll be in that small group."
Barty too was excited. "Obviously, it's incredible for Aussie tennis. I was pumped to see Ajla through to the second week here for her first time at Wimbledon."
Barty couldn't actually recall whether she'd played Tomljanovic, the world No.75, in competitive action before but the record books show this will be a first.
"I've known Ajla for a long time. We're good mates. We've practised together plenty of times, played in doubles once or twice maybe," said Barty.
"She's been knocking on the door for a long time. She's a great girl, has been playing some great tennis. I was rapt for her to be able to get through."
Barty, talking before Tomljanovic's match, reckoned she was going to "chuck it on in the background" on TV but wasn't sure how much she was going to watch.
