After nine fruitless attempts, Paola Suarez has finally reached the quarter-finals of the US Open.
Enjoying the form of her life, the Argentine is ready to bury the tag of doubles specialist once and for all at Flushing Meadows.
Success in the next round against third seed Lindsay Davenport would go a long way towards achieving that goal and Suarez is brimming with confidence.
"This year for me (has been) really good, you know. I think it's the best year for me," the 27-year-old said after beating Elena Likhovtseva in the fourth round on Sunday.
"I can play. I play all the tournaments at a good level. I feel my confidence (improving at) every tournament, you know?
"I think I have a lot of experience now. Mentally, I'm more strong. I think that I can play (at) a good level, you know, and I believe (in) myself more than other years."
A quarter-finalist at Roland Garros last season, Suarez's run to the last eight here equals her best showing at a grand slam.
As a multiple grand slam champion in doubles, opponents could be forgiven for thinking the stocky Argentine might threaten them with her net play.
{{/usCountry}}As a multiple grand slam champion in doubles, opponents could be forgiven for thinking the stocky Argentine might threaten them with her net play.
{{/usCountry}}But Davenport need not worry about the 2002 US Open women's doubles champion charging the net since Suarez plays from the back whenever she is on court.
"In the doubles, I think that our key is not the net, (it) is the baseline," she laughed when asked why, as a successful doubles player, she did not attack the net more in singles.
"I think (in) doubles, we play really good, we return good. I think it's different tactic, you know. Some players have facility to go to the net, other players stay in the back," added Suarez, who is defending her doubles title with her regular partner Virginia Ruano Pascual of Spain.