At 5’7”, you’re not exactly considered short, unless the person across the net is 6’11”. That was the reality Monday in Brisbane, where Reilly Opelka powered his way to a 6-2, 7-5 win over Dane Sweeny at the Brisbane International in just 1 hour and 22 minutes. The matchup was a mismatch on paper and on court, but while the Australian couldn’t solve one of the biggest serves in tennis, he still managed to steal the spotlight and win over the crowd.

Opelka was untouchable on serve, landing 82 percent of his first serves, dropping just 11 points in his service games, blasting 21 aces, and never facing a single break point. Outgunned in the rallies, Sweeny found his moment after the final point.

At the net, the 1.70-meter Aussie leaned into the humor of it all, grabbing a chair so he could rise up and give his towering opponent a proper hug. Understandably so, that comical moment at the Brisbane International had fans laughing alongside a clearly amused Reilly Opelka.

On the court, though, the match saw plenty of action. Sweeny pushed hard on the return at 3-2 and landed a volley winner to break Opelka’s serve, gaining an early advantage. Opelka responded with an ace for a 5-2 lead and even created a set point in the next game, which Sweeny denied with a forehand winner to hold. But Reilly Opelka quickly regained control, holding at love in game nine to take the first set 6-3 after 32 minutes.

The second set saw Opelka in command again, holding serve comfortably in six games and threatening an early break. Sweeny showed resilience by saving five break points in the fifth game, staying competitive and refusing to let the height difference intimidate him.

Sweeny managed to stay in touch, even taking a 5-4 lead at one point, but Opelka answered with an ace to tie the set at 5-5. The American earned three break opportunities in the following game, eventually converting the last with a forehand winner.

The 28-year-old finally sealed the match with a powerful serve at 6-5 before the lighthearted chair moment took over. Opelka will take on Poland’s Kamil Majchrzak next.

Regardless, that gesture recalled a famous tennis scene in Bogota, where Dudi Sela, also much shorter than his opponent Ivo Karlovic, stood on a chair to complete the handshake. So what exactly happened that day, you ask?

Reilly Opelka faces Tennis Deja Vu in hilarious hug moment

It was 2014 when Israeli tennis player David “Dudi” Sela faced Croatian giant Ivo Karlovic at the Claro Open in Bogota, Colombia. While Sela ultimately lost the match, he won over the crowd, and the internet, with a hilarious and heartwarming display of sportsmanship.

Standing 5’9”, Sela couldn’t reach Karlovic, who towers at 6’11”. Instead of going through the usual post-match handshake, he grabbed a chair, climbed on it, and gave Karlovic a hug at eye level. The crowd loved it, and so did fans online.

“Obviously he needed a hug, so I hugged him back,” Karlovic said after the match, keeping the moment lighthearted.

The hug quickly went viral, turning into a GIF that spread across Reddit. One top comment summed it up perfectly: “Dudi had just lost a very close match,” which made the gesture all the more heartening for fans.