Now after a 6-2 6-4 victory over 15-year-old Nicole Vaidisova, the 28-year-old finds herself in the last 16 in Melbourne looking to end a five-year grand slam title drought.

“The turn of events in the last six months took no one more by surprise than myself,” admitted Davenport, whose last grand slam win came here in 2000.

“I was fully ready to see the twilight of my career. But something definitely changed last summer and I started playing at a very high level, and it started becoming really exciting again and very interesting.

“And I felt like I really had a chance to do some great things. I’m excited I’m back here. I was definitely not sure last year. And now that I’m here I plan to do my best to try and win another grand slam.

“I wouldn’t have thought midway through last year that I would be here, no less the number one seed, playing good tennis again.”

Davenport will face Croatia’s Karolina Sprem in the fourth round, a player she beat in straight sets in the Wimbledon quarter-final last year. Sprem, the 13th seed, defeated Elena Likhovtseva 6-4 6-3 in the third round.

The pick of the fourth round matches looks to be between Venus Williams and Australian Alicia Molik however.

Molik, who defeated Tatiana Panova 6-3 6-2, is in superb form having won in Sydney last week and is tipped to be the first home winner since 1978 - fittingly perhaps in the event’s centenary year.

Williams, who beat Anna Smashnova 6-3 6-0 in the third round, said: “We were destined to meet, I guess. This will be a huge match for her in Australia.

“I’ve played a lot of huge matches in my life. On paper, sure it gives me an advantage. But in the end, I need to get out there and play well. For me it’s all about consistency and errors.

“Even if I make a lot of errors, usually I’m winning the match. But the less errors I make, the tougher it is for my opponent. It will be a very competitive match.”

Molik, the 10th seed in Melbourne, is confident she can cope with the pressure and expectation on her shoulders.

“I have played every match now on centre court and I’ve enjoyed getting out there,” she said. “I’ve played in enough big arenas.

“I’ve really enjoyed the last six months. I feel like I’ve risen to many occasions. When a big match and a big opponent present themselves, I feel like I’ve really managed to step it up. I’m really looking forward to it. I feel my game is in perfect shape to play great tennis against Venus.

“I don’t think anyone out there or the public expect any more of me than I do of myself. I had a convincing win today, yet I’m still disappointed. I feel I probably should have been off the court a little bit quicker.”

Russia’s Anastasia Myskina earlier advanced to the fourth round without hitting a ball.

Myskina’s third-round opponent, American Lisa Raymond, was forced to withdraw from the tournament after an MRI scan confirmed she had torn an abdominal muscle in the first game of a mixed doubles match on Friday.

Raymond, who will be out for four to six weeks, had breezed through the first two rounds for the loss of just two games, and was expected to give French Open champion Myskina a real test.

“I’m extremely disappointed because I couldn’t have asked to play better in my first two matches,” said Raymond, the 25th seed. “I was really looking forward to playing Myskina. “I’m going to stick around in Melbourne for a couple of days as I’ve been advised not to fly just yet.”

Myskina, the third seed, will play Nathalie Dechy in the last 16 after the French number 19 seed beat 14th seed Francesca Schiavone of Italy 6-3 6-3.

The only match of the third round to go to three sets was worth waiting for as Elena Dementieva defeated Daniela Hantuchova 7-5 5-7 6-4.

The sixth seed eventually prevailed after two hours and 43 minutes and will face 12th seed Patty Schnyder of Switzerland in the fourth round. Schnyder defeated unseeded American Abigail Spears 7-6 6-3 earlier in the day.