No. 50 seed Grayson Goldin certainly didn’t envision advancing to the quarterfinals of the CIBC Atlanta Slam presented by Vizzy on Thursday because second-seeded Ben Johns was dealing with a right ankle injury.

But, that’s exactly the way things played out on Humana Championship Court.

Moments after Goldin secured the opening game by a convincing 11-5 scoreline, Johns approached and informed him that he was simply unable to continue.

Even though the withdrawal officially clinched Goldin's spot in the next round, the 29-year-old Florida native was disappointed that he didn’t get a real opportunity to finish what he started.

"It sucks to kind of take the "W" that way. I was really looking forward to a battle and getting my revenge on him," he said, referencing a closely contested quarterfinals loss to Johns at the Bristol Open last month. "He's a very great player. I respect him a lot."

That admiration was especially evident during Goldin's post-match interview on PickleballTV.

Paying special attention to Johns’ game over the years is among several factors that he identified as a real difference-maker in helping him enjoy success in singles.

Victories over the likes of Collin Shick, Jack Sock, Donald Young, and Gabriel Joseph in recent months didn't come easy.

"I do a lot of reading. I like to listen to Audible, some mental toughness books, and I do a lot of visualization. I study the game a lot. I probably watched every single one of Ben’s matches on YouTube," he explained. "Just putting in the work helps give me the confidence knowing that my ability is there. Pickleball is an execution game, so it comes down to the people who can execute best. I just believe I can do it. You just go out there and get it done."

If the University of South Florida grad sounds confident, it's because he is.

And with good reason after cruising through the qualifiers with three consecutive dominant performances before earning the right to face No. 11 JW Johnson on Friday.

"Honestly, my mental toughness is in the right place lately. I’ve worked on that, trying to just have the mindset of a champion going into every single match knowing I’m going to beat the other guy on the other side of the net. And just believing in myself, believing in my game," he said. "You can’t play pickleball tight because our margins are so small."

Goldin definitely didn't show any signs of nerves while going head-to-head with the most decorated player in the sport. 

He put his plan in motion in the opening stanza and delivered.

"I knew Ben thought I was going to be ripping the ball as hard as I could, so I honestly tried to play 40 to 50 percent of what I would normally hit," revealed Goldin, whose powerful playing style has become his trademark. "I just tried to hit my spots and trust my game, and it worked out."

No doubt his matchup against Johnson will be especially interesting.