Salisbury was playing alongside US partner Rajeev Ram against top seeds Lukasz Kubot of Poland and Brazil’s Marcelo Melo in the doubles showpiece in the Austrian capital when he pulled off a moment of brilliance in the first set.

Scrambling to reach a lob that sent the ball way beyond the court, Salisbury somehow managed to chase the ball down before firing it between his legs and back across the net, just about squeezing it inside the tramlines.

The shot was reviewed but video replays showed it had edged the line, as Salisbury was left open-mouthed at his own brilliance.

The ATP Twitter account called it a “shot of the year contender,” and it helped Salisbury and Ram – seeded fourth – to take the first set against their rivals.