A Wimbledon duel between Kyle Edmund v Novak Djokovic of 2016 would likely have resulted in one outcome.
But an elbow injury and personal issues have affected the 12-time Grand Slam champion's displays since, while the new British number one has made at least the quarter-finals in five ATP tournaments this year.
Edmund also recorded his first victory in four attempts over the former world number one with a win at May's Madrid Masters.
The Briton is now a worthy adversary, but who will the ball swing for on Saturday?