She upset Sharapova in a fourth-round night match to reach her first Grand Slam quarterfinal, a stage she would also reach later in 2011 at Roland Garros and the US Open – results which helped her crack the top 10 that same season.

“I love being at the Australian Open because all those images come back,” said Petkovic, who also revealed she loved the sporting knowledge and energy of the Australian crowds.

“I think what I remember most [is] it really did change the trajectory of my career – and I’m not exaggerating when I say that. The reason why I say that is, there are players who have confidence the moment they come on court, like Serena, like Maria Sharapova, Carlos Alcaraz, Novak Djokovic. Even as 12-year-olds, they always knew they belong at the top of the game.

“I wasn’t like that. I always need to gain the confidence before I could go on to do great things. And Australian Open was a big key moment for me, because it added another block of confidence for me, knowing that I can beat the likes of Maria Sharapova on a big stage in front of a packed Rod Laver Arena in a night-session setting, and reach the quarterfinals of a major tournament for the first time.

“I think it set me up for what I’ve reached after that, and accomplished after that, being a top-10 player and reaching multiple [major] quarterfinals.

“That was the first stepping stone, and I think that’s why I’ll always remember it very keenly.”