Nick Kyrgios admitted that he had missed his opportunity, as he reached his first-ever grand slam semi-finals after steaming past Cristian Garin in straight sets.
The controversial Australian, whose antics this fortnight have thrilled and appalled in equal measure, reached the last four at Wimbledon with a commanding 6-4 6-3 7-6 (5) victory.
Kyrgios, now 27, has long been regarded as having all the talent to win major tournaments, but almost none of the application.
But after cruising past Garin – and armed with a 2-0 winning record over most likely final opponent Novak Djokovic – the self-styled bad boy of tennis might finally be about to come good.
Kyrgios, speaking on the court after his win: ‘An amazing atmosphere again. I never thought I’d be in the semi-final of a Grand Slam. I thought that ship had sailed – that I may have wasted that window in my career.