“I had trouble sometimes but I just stayed calm even though I lost the second set. I had my chances but that’s tennis,” she said. “I was very positive in the third set and I’m very happy to be through.” She has made the quarter-finals in her last two appearances at Melbourne Park and entered this year’s tournament on a high after winning the Brisbane International warm-up.

The 26-year-old has been a regular in the second week of Grand Slams in recent years, reaching the quarters or better six times since late 2016, but is still searching for a breakthrough win. She has a 7-2 winning record over two-time Grand Slam champion Muguruza, including four straight sets victories on hard courts.

But even if she gets past the Spaniard she is in a tough section of the draw that pits her against either world number one Simona Halep or 23-time major winner Serena Williams in the last eight.

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