Lleyton Hewitt was the last Australian man to win a tournament in the season's opening week, and he could yet repeat what he achieved as an emerging superstar in his home town of Adelaide 14 years ago.
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Hewitt reached the Brisbane International semi-finals by defeating Romanian qualifier Marius Copil 6-4, 6-2.
Second seed Kei Nishikori is next.
Some like it hot? Hewitt does - which is just as well, as Saturday is forecast to exceed 40 degrees.
Some said he would struggle to play tennis again after multiple toe surgeries? Hewitt demurred. As if.
Some wonder how Australian tennis will replace him when he's gone? He is going, still, and plans to stay for a little while yet.
The first element of a rare Australian quarter-final treble, Hewitt's victory preceded Sam Groth's 7-5, 6-4 loss to French eighth seed Jeremy Chardy in the Victorian wildcard's breakthrough event, and Marinko Matosevic's match-of-his-life opportunity against the incomparable Roger Federer in the evening session on Pat Rafter Arena.
Indeed, the first ATP tournament in a decade to boast three Australians among the last eight featured Hewitt as the common element.
As the 2004 Sydney International champion, he shared the quarter-final stage with Mark Philippoussis and long-gone former junior Wimbledon champion Todd Reid.
That was then. Now, times are leaner, but Hewitt endures, having finished the season back inside the top 75 for the first time in three years, fit to compete again after a career-threatening toe injury, and still scampering and bellowing and fist-pumping with all the vigour of his famous youth.
''I feel sharp at the moment,'' said Hewitt, who went down an early service break before working out and wearing down Copil's free-swinging game.
''Yeah, I feel like I've been able to do all the hard work. I did every training session that my trainer and coach wanted to put me through. Didn't miss a beat.''
The last time Hewitt started a season so successfully was in 2005, when he reached the Australian Open final against Marat Safin.
''I went all right that year in all three tournaments in Australia. It's been a while since the body's felt this good. I've been able to do a good hard pre-season November, December, and hopefully the results pay off.
''In reaching the quarter-final from qualifying, Copil has already won twice as many tour-level matches this season as in all of 2013, so the world No.147 can also be well-satisfied with his week.
So, too, Nishikori, who was forced to retire from last year's Brisbane semi-final, but feels comfortable in the country where his 2012 Australian Open quarter-final appearance stands as his best grand slam result.
''It's not like I love this condition, but I have to handle (it) well. It's hot weather, but I always play good in Australia. Plus, I feel a little bit home,'' said Nishikori, after ousting Marin Cilic in three sets.
Hewitt won the pair's only previous meeting, in the first round of 2011 Wimbledon.
''He's always tough to play. He doesn't miss much. Obviously he gives a lot of good things for the tennis tour,'' Nishikori said.
''Especially his home country, that's not easy, but hopefully I can enjoy the match... I really have to be aggressive and keep moving the balls.''
Hewitt will be ready.
"This is still why you play the game, to have a crack at the best guys out there. Obviously every match gets tougher. Nishikori tomorrow is going to be tougher again. Another step up in class. He looks it can hitting the ball well at the moment and really clean out there. It's obviously great preparation for the Australian Open, but I wanted to do well here this week. So far so good.''
