The fiery, hot-headed Australian up against the composed and articulate Canadian.
One idolises rappers and basketballers, the other spends his time visiting art galleries and meditating.
One is Australia's newest punching bag, the other the prototype of what the nation want that punching bag to become.
Nick Kyrgios and Milos Raonic couldn't be further apart in their mindset and interests, but they've found common ground at the All England Club for the second consecutive year.
Twelve months after Kyrgios' giant-killing run at Wimbledon came to an end at the hands of the hard-hitting Raonic, the Australian is excited about the prospect of extracting revenge.
Last year Kyrgios was the toast of Wimbledon - a teenager who stunned the tournament with his incredible stroke range and a will to win that has since come under fire.
Kyrgios, who was again embroiled in an umpire controversy after belittling the official in his second-round victory, says he now has the motor to match his undoubted talent.
"That's where I feel as I've drawn a lot of confidence," Kyrgios said about his improved fitness.
"You know, today I didn't feel my body aching or anything at all, in my legs. That's a lot of confidence. I thought last year against Raonic, I gave absolutely everything I could.
"I lost 7‑6 in the fourth set. If it was going to a fifth, I feel I could have completely emptied the tank. I feel like I'm a lot more confident coming into it."
Raonic, the tournament's No.7 seed, wouldn't be drawn into questions over Kyrgios' on-court behaviour at Wimbledon, remaining coy when asked about their contrasting personalities.
"I really couldn't care less," Raonic said. "My job is to go out and find a way to win a tennis match."
Kyrgios, who won his second-round match against Juan Monaco in straight sets on Wednesday, was angered after a linesman halted play to complain to the chair umpire about Kyrgios' language.
After exchanging words with the linesman when he returned to his position, the 20-year-old then proceeded to question the chair umpire over the linesman's message, asking "what did he say?" at the change of ends.
It's unclear what the umpire told the No.26 seed, but it didn't sit well with Kyrgios, who replied saying: "Is that a threat, is that a threat?.
"Does it feel good to be in the chair up there," Kyrgios asked umpire Ali Nili. "Does it feel strong to be up there?"
In the post-match press conference, Kyrgios explained what brought about his tirade, taking another swipe at the official.
"I just thought he thought he was top dog in the chair really," Kyrgios said. "He was telling me not to speak to him, all that stuff. [It] doesn't really matter, you know."
It is understood Kyrgios was swearing in the first set, which is what prompted the linesman's warning.
Asked if he was aware of his language, Kyrgios replied: "Yeah, I guess, yeah."
"I'm aware of what I'm saying. I'm in pain and I'm playing a tennis match at Wimbledon second round. A bit of stress out there."
Raonic, who comes off a four-set victory against veteran Tommy Haas, believes both he and Kyrgios have developed their games since their last meeting at Wimbledon.
"Well, I think it's been in different shades but it's been pretty much both players making quite a bit of progress," Raonic said.
"He's really come into the aspect of playing well and doing consistently well, especially in big moments. I think last year I was showing a lot of consistency, but ... I feel like I have stepped up quite a bit since last year."
