Australian doubles star Matt Ebden has kept his ambitions of a career-crowning ATP Finals triumph alive in Turin - but only at the expense of his compatriots, Rinky Hijikata and Jason Kubler.
The evergreen 35-year-old Ebden, Wimbledon men's doubles champion last year and US Open finalist in September, continued his magnificent 2023 campaign with Rohan Bopanna by downing Australian Open victors Hijikata and Kubler 6-4 6-4.
With both pairs having lost their opening round-robin matches, Wednesday's contest was a must-win for them - and it was the veteran pairing who made a piece of ATP Finals history by prevailing after 70 minutes.
"We improved from the first match and it made a big difference," Ebden said.
"I think we served close to flawless and returned really, really well and gave ourselves a lot of chances."
Ebden could only end up applauding his Indian partner Bopanna, who became the oldest player ever at 43 to win a match at the year-ending showpiece.
It means the pair, who only teamed up at the start of the season and have flourished to the point that Ebden will become the world No.1 if they can lift the title, are still on course for the semi-finals if they can beat Dutchman Wesley Koolhof and Briton Neal Skupski, the Wimbledon champions, on Friday.
"There's a lot on the line for every match," Ebden added.
"A lot of points, a lot of money … there's a lot to play for."
The previous oldest player to win a match at the tournament was Canada's Daniel Nestor who was 42 back in 2014.
Bopanna also became the oldest ATP Masters 1000 champion earlier this year when he won the Indian Wells doubles alongside Ebden.
Perth's Ebden has, arguably, even surpassed his 2022 Wimbledon-winning exploits with Max Purcell by reaching seven ATP finals in 2023 and getting to a new high of No.4 in the world doubles rankings.
He's come into Italy on the back of reaching three straight finals - the US Open and the two ATP Masters 1000 events in Shanghai and Paris.
And just like his compatriot Storm Hunter, the world's top woman doubles player, Ebden could become a season-ending world No.1 if he and Bopanna can keep up the form that ensured they only lost only five points on serve on Wednesday.
There was only disappointment, though, for 30-year-old Kubler and 22-year-old Hijikata - the youngest doubles player to qualify for the event in 28 years - in what was the first meeting between Australian doubles players at the Finals since 1998.
"They were pretty sharp and served well ... They played a bit too good for us today," Hijikata conceded.
