Australia Day dawns and there are no locals left at our Open.
Lleyton Hewitt and Sam Stosur showed the cavernous gap that lies between Australia's best and the world's elite when they were emphatically knocked out of the Australian Open by the world No.1s, Roger Federer and Serena Williams, on Monday.
Hewitt was trademark Hewitt.
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But as much as he tried, as much as he threw himself around the court, sprinted to retrieve drop shots, scrambled to rescue lobs, never gave up and kept Federer working, he is simply no match for the Swiss great.
Federer's 6-2 6-3 6-4 win in Monday night's fourth round is the 15th time in a row he has beaten Australia's former world No.1 and dual grand slam winner.
Their rivalry stretches back to when Hewitt lost a three setter to Federer in Switzerland when they were both 14 years old.
Fourteen years later, Federer is still winning. And it seems improbable that Hewitt will ever top him again.
Hewitt won eight of their first 10 matches in senior ranks and claimed his two grand slams in New York in 2001 and Wimbledon in 2002 before Federer had notched up the first of his 15.
But he's not beaten him since 2003 and the many points on Monday night when Hewitt stuck out a lunging racquet seemed to sum up where Federer sits now - too far out of reach.
"It's always disappointing to lose in a grand slam but he played exceptionally," the world No.22 said.
"He hasn't played too many bad matches against me.
"What drives me is I still think I can become a better player. He's the limit at the moment, he's obviously the benchmark."
And the gracious Federer retains the respect he had for Hewitt when the teenagers played doubles together at their Wimbledon debut in 1999.
"He's a champion and you're always going to have some tough moments against him, you're never going to get an easy match with him. He makes you get nervous," he said.
An hour or so before Hewitt carried Australia's hopes onto Rod Laver Arena, world No.13 Stosur had walked off the court, having had very little time to get nervous as Williams dismissed her 6-4 6-2.
The Queenslander reached the semi finals of last year's French Open, beat Williams in their last meeting and was hailed as a great Australian hope.
But she also came up against someone at the pinnacle of the game who has won 11 of these grand slam titles.
"Maybe if I was able to play against any other player, then maybe I would have won," Stosur said.
