A victory over local favourite Alexei Popyrin will be Ben Shelton's lasting memory from his first Australian Open - and first trip overseas - as the rising US star plots further success at grand slams.
Though Shelton's dream run ended in a quarter-final defeat to fellow American Tommy Paul on Wednesday, Melbourne Park might never have featured a happier loser.
The 20-year-old was all smiles as he embraced Paul at the net and revelled in a standing ovation from the crowd, showing his appreciation by holding up a heart-hand symbol to fans as he departed Rod Laver Arena.
"They've supported me and I definitely didn't expect it coming into this tournament, being an American," Shelton said.
"They kind of treated me like one of their own and it was really fun to play with the support behind me during my matches.
"There were a lot of smiles about that and I definitely exceeded my expectations this week with what I thought I could do on the court, not just tennis-wise but physically.
"Being able to get through as many as three-five-set matches as I did, I've only played one before in my career, so I was pretty pleased with myself in that aspect as well."
Shelton has only recently dived into the professional tour after playing US college tennis in Florida.
The 89th-ranked left-hander felt his on-court mentality had improved during the surprise run into the Open's second week, which will ensure he rockets into the world's top 50.
Shelton's breakout performance at a major included a composed display against Popyrin in the third round, which led to a straight-sets win.
"The match against Popyrin is going to stay with me for a while," Shelton said.
"The atmosphere on John Cain (Arena) was probably one of the cooler matches that I've been a part of.
"(It was) kind of like a Davis Cup feel. That's one memory on court that will stick with me for a long time."
Shelton and Paul featured alongside Sebastian Korda in the Open quarter-finals as three American men reached the last eight of a grand slam for the first time since 2005.
Together, they're part of a rising crop of American tennis stars that includes world No.9 Taylor Fritz and 17th-ranked Frances Tiafoe, who made the US Open semi-finals last year.
Shelton is bullish about the next generation's hopes of ending an American men's major title drought that dates back to Roddick's US Open triumph 20 years ago.
"I have really high hopes," Shelton said.
"I don't see why at the end of this year we couldn't have five or six guys in the top 20 with the way some of these guys are playing.
"I think there's a lot of hope for American tennis and I'm really looking forward to being a part of it."
Shelton, who is completing his college degree online, will return to the US for his next tournament before tackling the red clay courts of Europe.
