Emerson Jones's bid to become the first local in 30 years to win the Australian Open girls singles has kicked up a notch with the junior world No.1 easing into the quarter-finals.
Jones, last year's finalist, cruised into the final eight with a straight forward 6-3 6-2 win over Belarusian qualifier Yuliya Perapekhina in the third round on Wednesday.
Top seed Jones is attempting to become the first local girls' singles champion since Siobhan Drake-Brockman in 1995.
The 16-year-old is on a semi-finals collision course with the only other Australian left in the draw.
Wildcard Tahlia Kokkinis, 16, fought back from a set down to claim a gutsy third-round win over British qualifier Brooke Black, prevailing 5-7 6-1 6-3.
Jones will next play unseeded Austrian Lilli Tagger, who knocked out British ninth seed Mingge Xu while Kokkinis has the ominous task of facing Japanese fourth seed Wakana Sonobe.
If the Australians get through their respective quarter-finals, they will meet for a spot in the final.
Jones is also juggling her singles campaign with doubles.
The Queenslander and Brit Hannah Klugman beat Yuhan Wang and Kamonwan Yodpetch 6-2 2-6 (10-7) in their doubles quarter-final on Wednesday night.
The pair will play Czech fourth seeds Tereza Krejcova and Vendula Valdmannova in their semi-final.
There are no Australians left in the boys' singles or doubles draws.
