James Ward is into the third round at Wimbledon after beating Jiri Vesely in four sets.
The British No4 produced some outstanding tennis to win 6-2, 7-6, 2-6, 6-3 on Court Two.
It is the first time Ward has reached the third round at a Grand Slam and the 28-year-old will now play 30th seed Fabio Fognini or Vasek Pospisil on Saturday.
The result also means Ward will break into the world’s top 100 for the first time.
Ward, the world No111 who is now guaranteed at least £77,000 in prize money, breezed through the first set and deservedly took the second on tie-break.
He dropped the third set to let Vesely, the world No 45, back into the match but regained his focus in the fourth to win the match in two hours and 37 minutes.
Ward joins Andy Murray in the third round, with Slovenia-born Aljaz Bedene hoping to make it three British men through when he plays Viktor Troicki this evening.
After coming on court later than scheduled because of some rain showers, Ward made an excellent start and raced into a 3-0 lead in the first set. The 6ft 6ins tall Vesely looked uncomfortable moving on the grass and Ward took the first set.
Ward, a Londoner and the son of a black cab driver, continued to play good tennis in the second set but Vesely took him to a tie-break. Ward fell 3-0 down in the breaker but recovered to take it 7-4 and go two sets ahead.
Vesely improved in the third set and slowly got back into the match. The Czech player called for the trainer to treat a shoulder problem but he sealed the set with an ace to keep the match alive.
Vesely needed more treatment on his shoulder at the start of the next set and Ward broke in the fourth game of the set. Vesely made Ward serve out the match but the Brit held his nerve to create his own piece of Wimbledon history.
