Quick: The last Serbian male standing at the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells is? Hint: He’s well spoken, can tell a joke or two and his last name ends in “vic”.

If you didn’t guess “Who is Miomir Kecmanovic?”, you’re not alone. The 19-year-old didn’t predict his maiden ATP Masters 1000 quarter-final run in Indian Wells, either.

“I did not see that coming, not at all,” Kecmanovic said. “It will be funny that somebody other than Novak is still in.”

It has been a noteworthy few months for Serbian men’s tennis. Laslo Djere, 23, won his first ATP Tour title last month, beating #NextGenATP Canadian Felix Auger-Aliassime in the Rio Open presented by Claro final.

Filip Krajinovic, 2017 Rolex Paris Masters finalist, made the fourth round in Indian Wells, and that other guy with the “vic” ending to his last name – Novak Djokovic – won his 15^th Grand Slam at the Australian Open in January.

But of all the stories exciting the Balkan nation, Kecmanovic’s might be the most surprising – and the most promising, save for Djokovic’s.

Kecmanovic lost in the final round of Indian Wells qualifying 6-7(3), 7-5, 7-6(4) to American Marcos Giron, who reached the third round (l. to Raonic), and the Serbian needed two people to pull out of the main draw because he was second lucky loser on the waiting list.

“Thank you to Anderson,” Kecmanovic said, referencing Kevin Anderson’s withdrawal.

But once in the main draw, the Serbian has relied on belief. He’s yet to drop a set against German Maximilan Marterer, Djere and Yoshihito Nishioka, who retired from their fourth-round match with an injured back after dropping the first set 6-4.

Kecmanovic’s only goal for 2019 was to finish in the Top 100 of the ATP Rankings, and, by making the quarter-finals, he’s projected to rise to at least 36 spots, from No. 130 to No. 94. Kecmanovic is also projected to climb to sixth in the ATP Race To Milan, which will determine seven of the eight 21-and-under competitors at the 2019 Next Gen ATP Finals in Milan.

How far can he go in the desert?

“At this point anything is possible. I mean, I lost a week ago and I’m still here,” he said. “So I just hope to keep playing like this and we’ll see.”

Kecmanovic had just one tour-level win before Indian Wells. And as if his Wednesday could get any better, he also received a wild card into March’s second Masters 1000 event – the Miami Open presented by Itau – on the same day.

With such luck, Kecmanovic was asked, has he considered playing the lottery? “No, but I’m going to definitely after that,” he said. “I’m going to get a ticket because this is just nice.”

Watch: #NextGenATP Kecmanovic Ready For Masters 1000 Debut

Kecmanovic moved from Belgrade when he was 13 to train full-time at the IMG Academy in Florida. The invite came when was playing at an under-14 tournament in Moscow.

“It was weird in the beginning, moving away from home, dropping everything, literally everything that I had back home, and leaving my parents behind,” said Kecmanovic, who saw his parents – both doctors – about twice a year once he moved. “But I knew… that I had to do it. Because if I stayed at home, I wouldn’t have the same practices or coaches or everything, in general.

“If I didn’t go there, I don’t think that I would be here today.”

The first pro he hit with was a 6’5” Belarusian by the name of Max Mirnyi, who retired last year after a 22-year professional career that included 50 tour-level doubles titles.

“He was really nice to me. He still is. I’m happy that I had him, somebody so experienced to have to talk to sometimes,” Kecmanovic said.

Make no mistake, however, his idol is Djokovic, with whom he talks and practises with on occasion. Kecmanovic was 10 when Djokovic helped Serbia beat France for its first Davis Cup title. The boy was sitting in the stands, so close to the top that if he jumped he would have hit his head on the ceiling.

Read More: Kecmanovic, 19, Wins Second ATP Challenger Tour Title

He saw Djokovic beat Gael Monfils to even the final, but, instead of staying and watching Viktor Troicki beat Michael Llodra to secure the title, Kecmanovic’s parents made him leave and go practise.

“They were really [into] keeping me professional and all that,” he said.

His parents’ attempt at early discipline, however, sounded better in theory than practice. “While I was on court, I was just looking at the TV. I didn’t hit two balls the whole practice,” Kecmanovic said.

Djokovic has happily shared advice with the man who could one day – in all seriousness – take the mantle of top Serbian male from the 32-time Masters 1000 champion, and for more than just one tournament.

“Obviously sometimes you don’t feel like doing anything. You feel like not practising or maybe quitting. And to hear him saying, ‘No, you have to keep going. Push through it,’ give some encouraging advice like that, I think that helped me a lot,” Kecmanovic said.

That made him work harder, an act that bring can good luck to all who try it.

There will be two new ATP Masters 1000 quarter-finalists at the BNP Paribas Open – Serbia’s Miomir Kecmanovic and Poland’s Hubert Hurkacz.

But amidst the change, familiar faces remain. Five-time champion Roger Federer advanced to his 13^th Indian Wells quarter-final on Wednesday afternoon, 6-1, 6-4, taking advantage of a slow start from top Brit and 23^rd seed Kyle Edmund in their first meeting.

“He didn’t have the best start, so that cost him the first set. Second set, it was definitely better. I think he probably struggled throughout a little bit. He never really got going. Conditions are tough with the glare, and the jump of the ball is sometimes hard to find the rhythm and timing,” Federer said.

“Being able to belt the ball like he does needs either a good start or good conditions, and he didn’t quite find that. I’m sure I profited a little bit from it, but again, I was able to keep him uncomfortable throughout the match.

“He’s got everything in the game. It’s just a matter of keeping improving, keep plugging away, and then he will make big results again. He knows that.”

The 37-year-old Federer will experience another first as he and Hurkacz will meet for the first time in the quarter-finals. The 22-year-old Pole, who competed at the 2018 Next Gen ATP Finals in Milan, beat #NextGenATP Canadian Denis Shapovalov 7-6(3), 2-6, 6-3.

“I enjoy it,” Federer said of playing guys for the first time. “Hurkacz… He’s also up and coming, so that’s fun. Kyle, the same thing. I have never played him before other than practice. It’s nice to see what they have in the matches and really get a sense how much more we will see of them. For me, at a top level, I like it that I’m not playing the same guys every single week.”

Edmund, meanwhile, will want to have another go at the 27-time Masters 1000 champion. The Brit double faulted twice to start his first service game, and unfortunately for the 23-year-old, the nervy beginning was an omen.

Federer broke twice in the opening set, and Edmund failed to convert any of his three break chances to get back on serve in the third game. Federer pounded Edmund’s backhand, and the Antwerp titlist was stuck trying to rally from the baseline with Federer.

As Rod Laver, two-time champion Pete Sampras and tournament owner Larry Ellison looked on, Edmund settled into the match, but Federer saved four more break points in the second, going seven for seven for the match.

Rafael Nadal was large and in charge on Wednesday at the BNP Paribas Open, dismissing Filip Krajinovic 6-3, 6-4 to reach the Indian Wells quarter-finals for the first time in three years.

The three-time champion’s weight of shot kept the World No. 113 anchored several feet behind the baseline and stretched the Serb wide in the court. The 33-time ATP Masters 1000 champion broke in the second game of the first set to race to a 3-0 lead. Facing his first break point of the tournament, Nadal dropped serve for 3-2 but immediately broke back. 

In the second set Nadal broke in the third game and dictated thereafter, never giving his opponent an opening back into the match.

Having dropped a combined six games in his first two wins over Jared Donaldson and Diego Schwartzman, Nadal wasn’t fully satisfied after conceding seven games today. “I probably played a little bit worse today than yesterday. Maybe because of the conditions, [it was] windier out there today. But in general terms [it’s] been a positive victory again. Happy the way I played.”

Nadal is now one win away from keeping his part of the bargain to set a blockbuster semi-final with Roger Federer, who plays his fourth-round match later today against Britain’s Kyle Edmund.

Although World No. 2 Nadal is more than 3,500 points behind No. 1 Novak Djokovic in the ATP Rankings, should he win the title he will overtake the Serb in first place in the ATP Race To London, a predictor of the year-end ATP Rankings.

Nadal next faces the winner of Russian Karen Khachanov and American John Isner.

Did You Know?
Nadal reached the Indian Wells semi-finals or better for eight straight years between 2006 and 2013, when he won the last of his three BNP Paribas Open crowns.