Daria Gavrilova will fly the flag for her adopted homeland on Saturday as the last local standing in the Australian Open.
Losses by Ashleigh Barty and Bernard Tomic in their third round matches on Friday night left Gavrilova as Australia’s sole hope to reach the second week at Melbourne Park.
The Russian-born 22-year-old faces Timea Bacsinszky, the 12th seed, on Rod Laver Arena on Saturday night.
While Gavrilova is outranked by the Swiss, the Melburnian has won their two previous meetings.
Two former champions at Melbourne Park will also grace centre court during Saturday’s afternoon session.
World no.2 Serena Williams will start hot favourite to progress against unseeded countrywoman Nicole Gibbs.
Rafael Nadal, the 2009 champion, is likely to have a tougher time against emerging German youngster Alexander Zverev in the following match.
Zverev, who beat Roger Federer in a closely fought Hopman Cup match earlier this month, is also bidding to join his brother Mischa in the fourth round.
No pair of brothers has reached the last 16 in a grand slam since Javier and Emilio Sanchez at the 1991 US Open.
Grigor Dimitrov’s battle with Richard Gasquet is the feature match on Rod Laver Arena.
Elsewhere, two title smokeys have been given night matches on Margaret Court Arena.
Exciting Frenchman Gael Monfils will play 32nd seed Philipp Kohlscreiber before fifth-seed Karolina Pliskova will look to reach the second week here for the first time against unseeded Latvian Jelena Ostapenko.
Johanna Konta’s clash with Caroline Wozniacki is preceded by Dominic Thiem’s encounter with Benoit Paire on the tournament’s second court.
Ben
Roar Guru
Half the English cricket team are South African. Kostya Tszyu is Russian. We ALL - with exception to our indigenous people - descended here from other countries. She's an Australian citizen. Get over it! Go Dasha!
Neil Back
Roar Rookie
They never do Chook - they wrap him up in the British thing. Very convenient ;)
Maggie
Guest
She's an Australian citizen. So she's an Aussie. And that makes her a 'local'. Go Dasha!
Machooka
Roar Guru
Exactly Neil... it's a bit like the English claiming Andy Murray :)
Neil Back
Roar Rookie
" ....as the last local standing in the Australian Open" S'funny. Represented Russia until 2015.