Sabalenka powers on, Garcia and teenager Fruhvirtova bow out

MELBOURNE :Aryna Sabalenka eased into quarter-finals for the first time to firm as a favourite for the Australian Open title on Monday, but fourth seed Caroline Garcia was bundled out and 17-year-old Linda Fruhvirtova's dream run was brought to an end.

World number 45 Magda Linette ensured Poland would be represented in the last eight by stunning Garcia 7-6(3) 6-4, while Croatian Donna Vekic, ranked 64th in the world, held her nerve to down Fruhvirtova 6-2 1-6 6-3.

Vekic will next play Sabalenka and 30-year-old Linette will take on Czech former world number one Karolina Pliskova, who breezed past China's Zhang Shuai 6-0 6-4 on Kia Arena.

Garcia, 29, looked set to continue the late-career renaissance that saw her reach the semi-finals of the U.S. Open and win the WTA Finals last year when she took a 3-0 lead in the first set against Linette.

It all went downhill from there, though, as Linette played inspired tennis to fight her way back into the set and won it on the tiebreak.

The second set was more of the same as Linette kept up her level and Garcia's unforced error count racked up, the normally placid Frenchwoman showing her frustration with a stream of expletives that earned her a code violation.

"I don't know what happened. I'm speechless really, I don’t know what to say," said a breathless Linette after Garcia had sent one final forehand long to hand her a place in her first Grand Slam quarter-final.

With Linette's younger compatriot and hot favourite Iga Swiatek having departed in the fourth round on Sunday, Garcia's exit leaves Sabalenka and American Jessica Pegula as the only top 10 seeds in the quarter-finals.

Sabalenka looks to have as good a chance as anyone of winning the Daphne Akhurst Trophy if she can