Local veteran John Millman has been stunned by Alexander Zverev, with the German No. 3 seed winning their Australian Open encounter in straight sets.
World No. 89 Millman fought hard on Rod Laver Arena, but Zverev always remained in control to cruise through their second-round match 6-4, 6-4, 6-0 on Wednesday night.
Zverev, the Olympic gold medallist was in scintillating touch, completing the victory in two hours, to further stake his claim for a breakthrough Grand Slam title.
With nine-time champion Novak Djokovic back in Serbia, Zverev and world No. 2 Daniil Medvedev are in the box seat to claim this year's Open at Melbourne Park.
Millman threw everything he could at Zverev during a compelling first two sets, before the 24-year-old went to another level to close out the match.
Zverev thrived off the hostile environment, with the Melbourne crowd doing its best to push Millman to an upset.
"I could really feel you guys had been in lockdown for two years," Zverev said.
"It was really an amazing, amazing atmosphere. Hopefully it gets louder for the next few matches.
"I have said that in the past two years since COVID started, I think sports need the atmosphere.
"Sports need the people. It doesn't matter whether you are for me or against me, I enjoy the noise, and I enjoy being on court in front of all you guys."
Zverev will next meet Moldovan qualifier Radu Albot, who took down Australian wildcard Aleksandar Vukic on Wednesday.
Earlier, Ashleigh Barty continued her scorching summer to surge into the third round with a 6-1 6-1 blitz of Italian qualifier Lucia Bronzetti on Wednesday.
Australia's world No. 1 has dropped just three games and needed less than two hours on court to motor into the last 32 at Melbourne Park.
Her serve once again supreme, Barty hasn't been broken for 48 consecutive games stretching to her opening match of the season against Coco Gauff in Adelaide.
It's no coincidence, with Barty revealing she'd spent endless hours hitting thousands of serves with coach Craig Tyzzer to further develop "the one shot in tennis you have full control over".
"Just continually trying to try and make it a weapon," Barty said.
"I'm not the biggest girl out there, but I know I've got a sound technique and I know if I can get my rhythm right and use it effectively, it can be a weapon.
"'Tyz' and I put a lot of emphasis on my serve, I always have as a kid. I was always serving baskets and baskets of serves to try to create that weapon, try to create a really sound shot.
"It's the one shot in tennis that you have full control over. That's how you get to start the point so it's more about trying to start it on my terms as regularly as I can."
Once in control on Wednesday, Barty was able to pound Bronzetti from corner to corner, eventually, inevitably forcing the Italian into error - if an outright winner from the top seed didn't come before that.
Barty, though, is acutely aware that playing a qualifier ranked 142nd in the world is a different proposition to taking on Bronzetti's vastly more-experienced compatriot and 30th seed Camila Giorgi.
It's Giorgi on Friday who stands in the Wimbledon champion's path to the second week of the Open for a fourth straight year.
"She's an incredible ball striker, one of the most athletic girls out here," Barty said.
"She's not afraid to stand on the baseline and really put you under high pressure from the first strike.
"I will have to have my running shoes on, get the backhand slice out and bring in variation and see how it goes."