Max Purcell believes being part of an Australian Davis Cup-winning team in Malaga would top even his Wimbledon triumph as the stand-out moment of his flourishing career.
Lleyton Hewitt's side are warm favourites to qualify for a second successive final in the global team competition when they face underdogs Finland in the semi-final at the Spanish indoor venue on Friday.
But Purcell, who reckons last year's Davis Cup semi-final triumph over Croatia was his favourite feeling on a tennis court, won't be satisfied unless the Aussies can go one better than last year's runner's up spot as they seek to lift the title for the first time in two decades.
"For sure, it would be the number one," said the 25-year-old Purcell, asked to rank where a Davis Cup triumph would rank among his career highlights.
"Obviously, winning Wimbledon (men's doubles) was really special with Matt (Ebden) but being part of a winning team in the Davis Cup is my number one."
In 2022, Purcell teamed up with Jordan Thompson to win the decisive doubles in the last-four, but didn't get a chance to feature in the final as Canada swept to victory with two singles wins.
"We were so close last year," recalled Purcell. "And to be honest, probably my best kind of feeling was when we won that semi-final to get through to play for the title. But to get the trophy this year would be so special."
On the individual front, Purcell has concentrated on singles this year with such success that he's leapt from world No.220 at the beginning of 2023 to his current ranking of 45.
But he's rekindled his brilliant partnership with Ebden for the national team with the pair notching up four straight victories in the competition in 2023.
Hewitt will hope his doubles aces won't be needed in another nail-biter against Finland, who defied all the odds, even without their injured No.1 spearhead - world No.69 Emil Ruusuvuori - to knock out champions Canada in Tuesday's quarter-final.
The Finns, astonishingly, managed to prevail with Otto Virtanen (world No.171) and Patrick Kaukovalta (No.782) shining as their singles representatives, and Virtanen and Harri Heliovaara (world No.29 at doubles) teaming up to win the deciding doubles.
Even if Ruusuvuori has recovered from his shoulder injury to play quarter-final hero Alex de Minaur (world No.12) and even if Finland's army of passionate fans make as much noise in the Palacio de deportes Martin Carpena as they did on Tuesday, Hewitt's team ought to get the job done in the singles.
But who will take the troublesome second singles spot?
Thompson lost despite playing pretty well against the rising Czech Tomas Machac, but Hewitt may offer an opportunity to his second highest-ranked player Alexei Popyrin (world no.40) after drafting in the big hitter to replace the injured Thanasi Kokkinakis.
