Aryna Sabalenka can finally breathe a little easier after ending a first-week Grand Slam hoodoo on Manic Monday at The Championships.

In her 15th attempt and at her highest seeding of No.2, the Belarusian reached her maiden Grand Slam quarter-final on Wimbledon’s No.3 Court, having withstood the equally assertive No.18 seed Elena Rybakina, 6-3, 4-6, 6-3.

Only a month ago, Rybakina had surged into the fourth round at a Grand Slam for the first time and done what Sabalenka had narrowly failed to accomplish on her first foray as far at this year’s Australian Open – beat Serena Williams.

“After that match against Serena, when the score was 4-4 [in the third set], I lost two games because I wasn't staying aggressive. I was just trying to put maybe sometimes like soft, put it back. She was dominating there and I lost that,” Sabalenka said.

“This time I said to myself, ‘You have to stay aggressive, you have to dictate…It's better to miss it when you try to hit the ball instead of when you just put the racket and the ball just flies away'. This time I was trying to change something... I changed it. Happy that it's worked really well.” 

Two big serves dug the 22-year-old from Kazakhstan out of trouble early as she narrowly avoided falling behind a double break in the opening set, but two games later a pinpoint backhand return brought up a pair of set points against her and she conceded on her fourth double fault.

Sabalenka stood one set away from breaking new ground, but if this pair’s two previous encounters were anything to go by she would have to do it the hard way.

The No.2 seed was not the only player on court acutely aware of the second-week monkey on her back. A delicate change-up elicited a roar from the crowd when Rybakina plucked a backhand drop-shot winner and backed it up with a flurry of aces to consolidate the early break in the second set.

A two-time doubles Grand Slam champion, including as recently as this year’s Australian Open, Sabalenka displayed her touch at net when she crouched into a perfect half-volley winner and broke to love on a whopping forehand for 3-all.

No sooner had she reeled in her opponent though than she overplayed a forehand to concede serve again and an almighty bellow to release her frustration might have been picked up at the Dog and Fox at Wimbledon Village.

An ace pulled Rybakina to within a game of levelling the contest and she locked it up at a set apiece two games later with ace No.9.

There was a slight mix-up in big-name Belarusian names when the chair umpire announced “Miss Azar… Miss Sabalenka is challenging the call on the left far sideline”. It mattered not as the challenge proved correct and she charged to the change of ends with the opening game of the deciding set to her name.

Another stirring cry of determination followed when the 24-year-old secured the crucial first break of the deciding set and it could not have come at a more opportune time.

Serving at 5-3, a confident swinging volley sent her through to a showdown with the No.21 seed, Ons Jabeur. Her 32nd winner was her 128th of The Championships to date, which included 31 aces.

“This is not my final goal. I'm trying to be happy but at the same time be focused and be ready for the next one because it's also not easy match,” Sabalenka said. “Of course I'm really happy I finally broke this wall.”