A former Border Mail journalist known as "Wimbles" is the esteemed Australian tennis brain plotting Ash Barty's Wimbledon demise.
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And Craig O'Shannessy, the chief strategist for world No.1 Novak Djokovic, makes no apologies after being commissioned to help devise a game plan for American Alison Riske to bring down Barty in the fourth round on Monday night.
"I don't work for Tennis Australia," O'Shannessy, who spent about 18 months with The Border Mail in Wodonga during the early 1990s before focusing on his tennis career, said.
"Tennis is a global game. I have no allegiances."
O'Shannessy, also the ATP's and Wimbledon's chief tournament analyst, has been working with Djokovic for the past two-and-a-half years, having previously assisted several other grand slam heavyweights.
Now he's in Riske's camp after being approached by the world No.55's coach Billy Heiser.
"I've known Craig for a long time. I've always liked what he's done," Heiser said.
"I know he's working with Novak and I just asked if he'd be willing to sit down and go over some things.
"And he went over some things for one of our other matches and I just asked if he could go over a few things against Ash.
"I hope it disrupts some things."
Eager to gain any advantage, Heiser is confident Riske, already with a tour- best 13 grasscourt wins over the past month, can trouble Barty.
"I know we're going to be prepared and I know that Ali's going to go out there and play her game and, if she can do things at a high level, I think it's going to give Ash some problems," he said.
"I think everyone knows she can play on grass and she's dangerous.
"It's not just grass either. She can play on all surfaces. It's just getting her to be more consistent week in, week out.
"She made a final on clay last year. She made a final on hard this year, so she can play on all surfaces, but grass just simplifies things for her.
"But Ash is No.1 in the world for a reason."
The Albury-born, Texas-based O'Shannessy is no stranger to working against Australian No.1s.
He masterminded then world No.262 Melinda Czink's first-round upset win over 10th seed Samantha Stosur at Wimbledon in 2011.
That was Stosur's last grand slam loss before beating Serena Williams in the US Open final that year.
O'Shannessy laughs off the suggestion he's a turncoat to be coaching against Australia's new sporting golden girl.
"I love Australian tennis," he said. "I'm always available to help out."
