David Goffin has slayed powerful Austrian Dominic Thiem to become the first Belgian man to ever reach the quarter-finals of the Australian Open.
The 11th seed won through to the last eight with a 5-7 7-6 (7-4) 6-2 6-2 victory on Monday afternoon, achieved in two hours and 43 minutes.
The win - achieved in sweltering Melbourne conditions - was Goffin's first against top-10 opposition at a grand slam, at his 10th attempt.
Goffin said momentum swung in the second set.
"The second set was definitely the key. It was a tough first set," the 26-year-old said.
"I continued and kept fighting. Served really well. And I made some good returns in the tiebreak.
"I continued to push, push myself in the rallies and I got better and better, game after game."
The world No.11's reward is a top-10 ranking for the first time when the next ATP rankings are released, and progression to a clash with Grigor Dimitrov on Wednesday.
The win equals his best grand slam result, achieved at the French Open last year.
Goffin's name has barely been mentioned in a list of probable grand slam winners but the prospect is becoming more likely; there are only a handful of players ranked above him left in the tournament.
While others have said that the huge number of upsets at Melbourne Park has given them a mental lift, Goffin said he wasn't motivated by the "anything is possible" atmosphere.
"I'm feeling more confident for the moment against top players," he said.
"I knew that I had the level. The key was to play my best tennis ... I'm doing that more often than in the past. That's why I'm more confident and I win some more matches."
AAP