It is a tale of the unexpected that the grass court season begins with a British singles player still otherwise occupied at the French Open.
By this time Jo Konta has usually swapped the brown dirt for the skiddy turf, but now she is going where no British woman has gone since Jo Durie 36 years ago: into the quarter-finals of the French Open.
The latest stage of Konta's odyssey to the last eight involved the high-class demolition of world No 22 Donna Vekic 6-2, 6-4, and she will now meet America's Sloane Stephens.
Johanna Konta beat Donna Vekic 6-2, 6-4 to reach the French Open quarter-finals
It is a timely fillip for the British game as players muster at Surbiton for the first outing on the three-week road to Wimbledon, and there could yet be another boost.
According to GB tennis insiders, Andy Murray has been so pleased with how his hip is feeling that he is seriously considering playing doubles at the Fever Tree Championships at London's Queen's Club, which starts two weeks on Monday.
While he still has time to decide, on Saturday night he posted a brief video of him practising on a grass court and serving before rushing towards the net.
Andy Murray is pleased with how his hip feels and may play some of the grass court season
It would seem strange to be hitting on the grass if there was not some clear intent. He would not struggle for a doubles partner at Queen's, where he has a lifetime appearance arrangement.
For now it is Konta, deservedly, in centre stage. From having arrived here with a heavy cold and no previous main draw wins at Roland Garros, she is now three wins away from the title.
When Durie reached this stage in 1983 she played the clay court match of her life to beat American Tracey Austin. Now elevated to the commentary box she reflected that, with the women's game now so open, there was nothing to stop the rampantly confident Konta going further.
'Looking down the draw she has beaten most of these players and that's important,' said Durie.
'But there will be a lot of them who might study the draw and think, 'Why not me?' '
Vekic was blown away by the British No 1 who is starting to thrive on a clay court
Sloane Stephens lost to Jo Konta at the Italian Open two weeks ago, but is a very dangerous customer when she gets her teeth into a tournament.
The American world No 7, who defeated former Wimbledon champion Garbine Muguruza 6-4, 6-3, has a tendency to
