Eva Lys comes up trumps

German fairy tale: It hasn’t happened since 1988

Eva Lys mutates into the sensation of Melbourne. Her family members hail her for it.(Bild: AP)

The German tennis fairytale continues. Eva Lys, number 128 in the women's world rankings, is the first female "lucky loser" to reach the last 16 of the Australian Open since 1988.

Lys beat the Romanian Jaqueline Cristian 4:6, 6:3, 6:3 on Saturday night. The 23-year-old had already failed to qualify and only officially slipped into the main draw 15 minutes before her first match. There, the Hamburg native is causing a sensation under her new nickname "Lucky Lys" with three victories.

Eva Lys doesn't believe it - but she's through to the last 16 of the Australian Open.(Bild: AFP)

Swiatek's demonstration of power
Now it's down to the wire for Lys. She faces Iga Swiatek in the round of 16. The Polish player made it through to the last 16 with a demonstration of power. Swiatek, the number one seed in Melbourne, conceded just one game to Britain's Emma Raducanu in a 6:1, 6:0 victory in the third round on Saturday.

Iga Swiatek is in commanding form in Melbourne.(Bild: AP)

Opening win for Tagger
Former Wimbledon winner Yelena Rybakina (6) from Kazakhstan is also through to the round of 16 after a 6-3, 6-4 win over Ukraine's Dajana Jastremska. However, Rybakina, who was physically weakened, needed seven match points to decide the duel in her favor. Jastremska had made it to the semi-finals last year as a qualifier. In the juniors, 16-year-old Lilli Tagger from East Tyrol celebrated an unchallenged opening victory with a 6:0, 6:2 win against Nanami Goto from Japan.