LONDON -- Johanna Konta is fast becoming the golden girl of British sport, and looks better prepared than ever to enjoy the ride to the top.
If her epic 7-6 (4), 4-6, 10-8 triumph against Donna Vekic in Wimbledon's second round was anything to go by, even Andy Murray might have to make room for her in the UK tennis spotlight soon.
Konta took Centre Court Wednesday as a rising home star who could finally end the nation's 40-year wait for a female Grand Slam champion, and her performance must surely have won over any local with a wavering heart or mind.
In a three-hour-10-minute contest, she showed not only skill, resilience, and aggression, but also more positive emotion than is usually associated with this highly focused and controlled 26-year-old.
"Definitely one of the most epic matches," Konta told a news conference, when asked to compare the Vekic tie with others in her career. "It was a great battle to be a part of."
This was the longest women's singles match at Wimbledon this year by a full 25 minutes, and if statistics could ever capture the drama of such a tight match, the fact that Konta faced seven break points and successfully defended four -- while Vekic stymied 12 of 15 break opportunities -- tells a pretty good story.
Despite the size of the court and their impressive serves, official figures show that both players comfortably covered more than a mile each, while chasing down balls in temperatures that reached 35 degrees Celsius an hour before they went on.
There were unpredictable factors, too: Konta said she swallowed several of the flying ants that invaded every corner of the All England Club throughout the match. Moreover, it must have been psychologically daunting for Konta to face an opponent who had beaten her in the final at Nottingham less than four weeks ago.
Konta needed all the backing she could get, and described Centre Court as an "electric stage to play on." She said: "I absolutely love playing in front of Brit crowds. Not many players get a home slam, so I feel very fortunate. They kind of lived and died with the match."
No one could question the players' commitment in what amounted to an almost gladiatorial contest; Konta's roar and Vekic's tears after the final point spoke volumes about what they had just been through.
For the Australian-born Briton, the win took her into personally uncharted territory: a place in the third round of Wimbledon. With Heather Watson also exiting the second stage unscathed, the UK has two women in the third round of the singles draw for the first time since 1986, when Jo Durie and Anne Hobbs made it through.
The search for a female successor to Virginia Wade -- whose last major win took place at Wimbledon 40 years ago last Friday -- has proven fruitless for decades, but the nation finally has a credible candidate in Konta.
She has already recorded some important landmarks for her adopted country, reaching the final of last year's Australian Open and successfully cracking the top 10 to become the UK's most successful female player in decades.
How far she can go now is the question her growing fan base will undoubtedly be asking. She will face Greece's Maria Sakkari, the world No. 101, for the first time in the next round. American Madison Brengle, who knocked out Petra Kvitova, could follow afterward.
The Briton's prospects remain good, however. She reported no after-effects whatever from the fall that hurt her upper back and caused her to pull out of the Eastbourne semifinals last week. She also has no doubles contests to play, so fatigue is unlikely to be a concern moving forward.
Konta has also showed signs that she might be enjoying all the newfound attention, as well as a willingness to use it to her advantage.
Her praise for the supportive but "respectful" British crowd certainly won't hurt her the next time out; she seems to have responded to the criticism surrounding her apparent reluctance to open up to the media, as well as general doubts about her ability to deal with growing expectations.
Konta seemed happily mystified at the idea that the hopes of the British public were a burden, saying post-match: "You guys keep talking about this pressure," before explaining she still only really feels the pressure she puts on herself.
While it might not be to everybody's taste, she was also happy to offer a glimpse into her life off the court -- namely trying out her baking on her team before the match.
"It was the second time I have ever made muffins in my life," Konta said. "I was really looking forward to trying it out on my guinea pigs. It came back positive, so that has given me that much more confidence to search for and make some more creations."
Amid the home-town happiness, Konta was generous in her praise and empathy for Vekic, who certainly held her own throughout the contest.
So spare a thought for a player ranked 51 places below Konta, whose watching boyfriend -- Stan Wawrinka -- was a surprise loser in the first round of the men's singles on Monday.
While Konta could afford to think about incorporating either chocolate chips or bananas into her next cooking challenge, it's fair to say the mood at dinner for Vekic and Wawrinka might not have been so appetising.