Australian Open: Ashleigh Barty upstages Maria Sharapova in front of home crowd

Local hero Ashleigh Barty has staged a stirring fightback to storm into her maiden grand slam quarter-final with a drama-charged Australian Open victory over Maria Sharapova.

Barty overcame a nervy, error-riddled first set to defeat the five-times major winner and former world No.1 4-6 6-1 6-4 in a rousing fourth-round performance on Sunday.

Australia's first women's quarter-finalist at Melbourne Park since Jelena Dokic a decade ago, 22-year-old Barty will play Czech world No.6 Petra Kvitova on Tuesday for a spot in the semi-finals.

Earlier, two-time Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova became the first woman into the Australian Open quarter-finals after steamrolling American teenager Amanda Anisimova.

The eighth seed needed less than an hour to get past the 17-year-old 6-2 6-1 and is yet to drop a set at Melbourne Park.

Kvitova will meet Ashleigh Barty in the final eight to set up a rematch of last week's Sydney final that Kvitova won in three high-quality sets.

World No.87 Anisimova knocked off 11th seed Aryna Sabalenka on an eye-catching run to the last 16, becoming the youngest player to make that stage of the Australian Open in 13 years.

She beat Kvitova in the second round of Indian Wells last year and loomed as a threat to the Czech.

But there was no repeat on Rod Laver Arena as Kvitova came flying out of the blocks, breaking in the opening game.

"It is always pressure out there when you are favourite for the match," Kvitova said after extending her 2019 winning streak to nine matches.

"You never know how the young players are playing and they are here, nothing to lose, they are playing really fearless.

"That's how I remember myself when I was younger."

The 28-year-old is a now a win away from equalling her best Open result, a semi- final appearance in 2012.

AAP.