The weight of a nation is on the shoulders of Daria Gavrilova.
Less than a week into the Australian Open, Gavrilova is the last local standing – male or female.
Gavrilova, known affectionately as Dasha, did not crumble under the pressure against the more fancied Swiss 12th seed Timea Bacsinszky at Rod Laver Arena on Saturday night, winning the only way she knows how, in three tough sets 6-3 5-7 6-4.
It will be the second time in as many years that Gavrilova has made it to the fourth round.
“It feels awesome,” she said. “I’m pretty tired right now, it was a tough match. To be honest, I expected it, yeah I feel relieved.”
Gavrilova came out of the blocks full of energy.
Spurred on by a pro-Aussie crowd, Gavrilova took out the first set 6-3.
If Bacsinszky thought she was in for a comfortable match, she was given an immediate warning of the threat that Gavrilova poses when the local hopeful came from 0-40 down in the third game to get the first break of the opening set.
It was a precursor to the remainder of the set – and the match – with breaks coming at will on both sides of the net.
Gavrilova went on to break serve four more times in the opening set alone and eight times for the match. Bacsinszky had six breaks of her own.
Gavrilova’s all-round game troubled Bacsinszky early on.
Her court coverage was full of heart and the tricks she applied had the crowd excited.
Bacsinszky, on the other hand, was constantly battling from the baseline and it was more reactive counter punching than attacking tennis.
But Bacsinszky came to life in the second set, taking it 7-5.
She began to find more winners from the baseline as the gritty Australian started to tire from all the running.
While Bacsinszky had not been too impressive in the opening two sets, she had an element of control over the match, but it did not last long.
After breaking in the first game of the third set, Bacsinszky’s lack of conviction on serve would give momentum back to Gavrilova, who immediately broke back.
As the match crept past the two hour mark, it was all about which player wanted to advance more.
Gavrilova laid her cards out, breaking for a second time in the set and taking a 3-1 lead.
The crowd lifted on the back of that and carried Gavrilova to victory.
Gavrilova will meet Czech fifth seed Karolina Pliskova on Monday.
The 22-year-old knows she is in for a tough time.
“She’s playing unbelievable,” Gavrilova said. “She’s definitely playing her best tennis right now. I actually told to a reporter, before the draw came out, If it wasn’t me, who do you think is going to win the tournament? I picked her.”
