Mertens into Australian Open last eight

Elise Mertens became the first Belgian to reach the quarter-finals of the Australian Open since Kim Clijsters in 2012 with a straight sets win over Petra Martic on Sunday. The unseeded world number 37 edged the big-serving Croat 7-6 (7/4), 7-5 in almost two hours of baseline war on Margaret Court Arena.

Quarterfinal on debut!@elise_mertens sailing in her first appearance at Melbourne Park.

Tops Martic 7-6(5) 7-5.#AusOpen pic.twitter.com/6Qo4wEKfQh

— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 21, 2018

In-form Mertens is making her Australian Open main draw debut and is on an nine-match win streak after making a successful title defence in the warm-up event in Hobart just over a week ago. "I've had an amazingly good start to the year," she said after having to grind out victory after leading 4-0 in the first set and being broken in the second when serving for the match for a first time.

.@elise_mertens makes her first ever Grand Slam Quarterfinal!

Tops Martic 7-6(5), 7-5--> https://t.co/WDNYUZgow4 pic.twitter.com/PFjZv2xCYa

— WTA (@WTA) January 21, 2018

She could next face another in-form player, fourth seed Elina Svitolina who won the Brisbane International warm-up. The Ukrainian will first need to get through a late match against qualifier Denisa Allertova.

Which remaining top seed is your choice to win the Australian Open?@Simona_Halep / @CaroWozniacki / @ElinaSvitolina / @KaPliskova #USOpenSeries (?: @rogerscup) pic.twitter.com/o6VBkv6bcB

— US Open Tennis (@usopen) January 20, 2018

Mertens is in uncharted territory in her fifth appearance in the main draw of a Grand Slam. She has only once before got past the opening round in a major, at Roland Garros last year when she reached the third round.

Two players in action today are making their Grand Slam R16 debut...@elise_mertens & Denisa Allertova, welcome to the club!#AusOpen pic.twitter.com/pGUxojkLdJ

— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 21, 2018