If Novak Djokovic justifies his tag of pre-tournament favourite, this will be the 20th consecutive Wimbledon that one of the 'Big Four' has won the men's singles title.

One man who knows all about causing a Wimbledon final surprise is Chris Lewis.

Forty years ago, the New Zealander stunned the tennis world by reaching the men's singles final as the world number 91.

His is the story of a boy who was passionate about tennis and who set himself an ambitious goal as an 11-year-old after watching his idols compete at a tournament in New Zealand.

"It was then that I made the decision that I wanted to become a tennis professional and that Wimbledon for me was my life's dream," he told BBC Sport.

But his journey to realising that dream would take several twists and turns.

In 1975, Lewis seemed well on track - as the world number one junior, he won the boys' title at the All England Club. But senior success was harder to find and, by the time the 1983 Wimbledon came around, there were no signs of a Grand Slam breakthrough.

In fact, it was quite the opposite.

"I'd been a pro for nine years and I was playing the worst tennis of my career to date," he says. And a bout of food poisoning at the French Open weeks before Wimbledon did not do much for his confidence.

But his lack of form "was also a catalyst" for his starting to play well at Wimbledon.

He resolved he must "tread water" no more and, helped by Australian tennis legend Tony Roche - his former idol who was now his coach - and his Kiwi compatriot Jeff Simpson, Lewis threw himself into some intense physical training before the Championships.

The hard work paid instant dividends as he came through two five-setters in his first three rounds to reach a Grand Slam fourth round for the first time.

But along with success came the nerves - the night before his last-16 match against Nigerian Nduka Odizor, who had already put out fourth seed Guillermo Vilas, Lewis got "not a wink's sleep".

His unorthodox solution - a 90-minute pre-match nap on the floor of the locker-room bathroom - worked and he won in straight sets, "playing some of the best tennis I've ever played".

A tough quarter-final win over American Mel Purcell, who like all but one of Lewis' seven opponents at that Wimbledon was ranked higher than the New Zealander, meant he was in the semi-finals.

Standing between him and the Wimbledon final was South Africa-born Kevin Curran, the grass-loving 12th seed, who had beaten world number one Jimmy Connors earlier in the tournament.

The semi-final was an epic - described by legendary BBC commentator John Barrett as "the match of the Championships" - with Lewis finally prevailing after three hours 45 minutes.

Lewis was the first New Zealander to reach a Wimbledon singles final since before World War One, so excitement back home was huge, with messages pouring in.

"I actually got a call from British Telecom, who told me they had never experienced so many telegrams for a single player in the tournament's history," says Lewis, who also received a congratulatory phone call from then New Zealand prime minister Robert Muldoon.

Waiting for the final was John McEnroe, who was in the midst of a run of five consecutive Wimbledon finals.

Lewis was unfazed.

"People always ask me, 'Did you think you had a chance of winning?' and the answer is unequivocally 'yes'," he says. "The reason is you've just won six matches against the best tennis players in the world - there's almost a feeling of invincibility walking out on to the court.

"Unfortunately, John was feeling the same way and he was playing the best tennis of his career."

Lewis' amazing run ended with a straight-sets defeat by McEnroe but he could hold his head high.

"To put it into context, had I beaten John, it probably would have been one of the greatest upsets in the history of the game," he says. "I look back on it with pride because I gave it everything. It was the culmination of what was 15 years of dedication and relentless hard work."

He had assured his place in the history books and not just as the first unseeded player in the Open era to reach a Wimbledon singles final. He was also the first man to reach a Grand Slam final with the then revolutionary racquets with oversized heads.

Lewis moved to the United States in 2006 and now runs a tennis academy in California, overseeing the development of 800 young players.

It is a fitting occupation for someone who has always been quick to credit the importance of environment and role models in his own career.

He will be back at Wimbledon in July, although he also has another reason to be visiting the UK.

Forty years after he took centre stage in London, his daughter Geneva will be doing the same, albeit her talent lies with strings of a different nature - a highly regarded violinist, she will be soloing at the Royal Albert Hall during the Proms season.

"I can remember everything so clearly, it's as if it were yesterday," says Lewis of his Wimbledon run. "And I still feel so much pride today - it was just incredible, an amazing experience."