Women's No.3 seed Victoria Azarenka has become the first player to book a quarter final spot at the Australian Open, eliminating Czech Iveta Benesova in straight sets.
Azarenka has progressed through her first four matches without dropping a set, but Benesova, who also made the fourth round in Melbourne last year, provided the most fight the Belarusian has faced so far, saving four match points before succumbing 6-2 6-2 in an hour and 17 minutes
Azarenka next faces Poland's Agnieszka Radwanska, who easily dismissed Germany's Julia Georges 6-1 6-1.
The Belarusian took control very early in the first match on Rod Laver Arena on Sunday, breaking her opponent in the first and fifth games and helped by 10 unforced errors from the Czech, took the set in just 34 minutes.
Azarenka played more aggressive tennis in the second set and broke Benesova in her first two service games, including a telling double fault from the Czech on break point in the third game.
It seemed the No.3 seed was cruising to victory, but Benesova found her fight when facing two match points on her serve in the seventh game. A pair of brilliant winners saved the game and she pulled off another two great points when facing match points in Azarenka's next service game.
But an ace from Azarenka when facing a break point of her own got her back the momentum and she took the match with a forehand winner.
Radwanska, the No.8 seed, gets her chance to get past a quarter final of a Grand Slam for the first time after she spent just 54 minutes on Hisense Arena against No.22 seed Georges.
The 22-year-old, twice a quarter finalist in Melbourne, broke her opponent in the second and sixth games of the first set, making just two unforced errors along the way to a one-set lead.
Radwanska then put the foot down, breaking Geroges again in the first and third games of the second, handing back one of those in the third and then wrapping it up with two more breaks.
The tale of her dominance was told in the fact she won 50 points to her opponents 22 for the match and made just three unforced errors to the German's 27.
The other matches in the top half of the draw on Sunday see top seed Caroline Wozniacki play former world No.1 Jelena Jankovic in the last match of the night session on Rod Laver Arena, while last year's finalists, Kim Clijsters and Li Na, will play late afternoon on the centre court.