Resurgent Rafael Nadal has eight years of history and an extraordinary 17-match winning run on his side heading into his Australian Open quarter-final against nearly-man Tomas Berdych.
After coming into the first major of the year under a cloud having battled a wrist injury and appendicitis, the Spanish world No.3 is through to the last eight and looking in ominous form.
Nadal endured a first-set serving storm from towering South African Kevin Anderson on Sunday before powering away to win 7-5 6-1 6-4.
The reward is a meeting in the last eight against Berdych, who was equally impressive in his 6-2 7-6 (7-3) 6-2 fourth round win over a disappointing Bernard Tomic.
But for the seventh-seeded Czech - playing his 46th straight major - beating the Australian is one thing.
Finding a way past the 14-time major winner from Spain - who has won his last 17 matches against Berdych and dropped only three sets in the process - is another matter altogether.
"It doesn't matter what happened in the past," insisted Nadal on Sunday despite all evidence to the contrary.
"It is a different matter this time.
"It's a different moment for me and a different moment for him.
"The way we arrive at that match isn't going to affect what happens in the match.
"I'm sure of that.
"He's a great player and I've had success against him but I have also had chances to lose against him."
Nadal was on the back foot for the vast majority of the first set of Sunday's fourth-round clash against Anderson.
The No.14 seed from South Africa dropped only one point in his first five service games but was then unable to convert any of the five break points he fashioned in the 11th game.
That was the signal for Nadal to pounce and claim the first set of what quickly turned into a one-sided encounter.
Anderson has never gone past the fourth round of a major in 24 attempts - a record he never looked like breaking once he dropped the first set against Nadal.
The Spanish No.3 seed is now through to his 28th grand slam quarter-final, 23 of which have ended in victories.
"Winning against the No.15 in the world in straight sets, it would be very arrogant if I said I was not playing at a very high percentage," said Nadal.
"I'm happy with the way I played today.
"It's the first day I've felt that I was playing at the level that I wanted to play."
Tuesday's match against Nadal will be Berdych's 12th appearance in a major quarter-final.
He has won only four of them, with his best result at a grand slam coming when he reached the 2010 Wimbledon final, only to lose in straight sets.
The winner on that occasion - none other than Nadal.
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