Novak Djokovic said talking to himself in the mirror when he was two sets down was the turning point as he beat Jannik Sinner to reach the Wimbledon semi-finals.
The top seed and defending champion, bidding for a fourth successive SW19 title and seventh overall, came through 5-7 2-6 6-3 6-2 6-2 on Centre Court.
Serb Djokovic, 35, will play Briton Cameron Norrie or David Goffin next.
"He was the better player for the first two sets," Djokovic said.
"I went out and had a refresh, had a toilet break, I had a little pep talk to myself in the mirror, it's the truth.
"Sometimes in these circumstances when not much is happening positively for you, sometimes these things are necessary. A little break to try and regather the thoughts and reassemble."
Djokovic was given a huge scare by Italian 10th seed Sinner, who initially rose to the occasion as he tried to reach a Grand Slam semi-final for the first time.
However, the 20-year-old faded in the final three sets as Djokovic improved after an erratic and subdued opening.
