It remains one of the greatest quips the game has heard.
"And let that be a lesson to you all. No-one beats Vitas Gerulaitis 17 times in a row."
Gerulaitis' acerbic assessment came in 1980 when the American finally beat Jimmy Connors after losing their previous 16 meetings.
British number two Cameron Norrie has also turned to drollness as he prepares to face another opponent who has a 100% winning record over him.
Norrie, Britain's final hope in the Australian Open singles, faces Germany's Alexander Zverev in the third round on Friday, having lost all six of their previous meetings.