Australian Open 2016: Agnieszka Radwanska beats Carla Suarez Navarro

Fourth-seeded Agnieszka Radwanska has become the first player through to the Australian Open semifinals, overpowering Carla Suarez Navarro 6-1, 6-3 in the opening match at Rod Laver Arena on Tuesday.

In shades of madcap compatriot Nick Kyrgios, the 21-year-old chastised herself, repeatedly threw her racquet and kicked a ball in disgust in front of the sell-out crowd and global television audience.

Gavrilova has since admitted she was acting like a “little girl”, and said she “disgusted” in her behaviour.

“I’m happy I can out and played as well as I did”. I guess I was starting to overcook it a little bit in the second and got very emotional. The downside for Navarro is the fact she’s had no less than 30 unforced errors in three of her four matches, a number that must improve if she’s going to make the deepest run of a grand slam in her career.

Gavrilova had two break points for a 2-0 buffer in the second set, the let-off proving the turning point in the topsy-turvy match.

“I was getting angry with myself and just showing way too much emotion”. Her 29th grand slam appearance dwarfed for big-time experience an opponent in just her sixth. I don’t know why I did that.

“I mean, I played good”.

“Right now, I don’t mind it, but I don’t know what to do, it’s all happening for the first time in my life so I just go with it”.

Gavrilova’s loss in two hours and three minutes leaves Bernard Tomic as the last Australian remaining in the 2016 Open singles draws.

Radwanska and Suarez-Navarro will both be desperate to secure their place in the semi-final of the first grand slam of the season.

Gavrilova will have to be content with making the last 16 at a major for the first time after taking down two-time Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova in round two and then scoring a fighting three-set triumph over French seed Kristina Mladenovic.

“At the end of the match I think I was more focused than her”, Suarez Navarro observed.

Since bursting into the spotlight in Melbourne, Gavrilova, the WTA’s Newcomer of 2015, has had to deal with a huge amount of attention, a situation that has come as a shock. After sweeping through the opening set to love in 25 minutes, it seemed safe to assume the hyperbole meter’s biggest test was yet to come.

In the shortest set of the match, the Serb broke early to eventually win: 6-3, 6-7, 6-4, 4-6, 6-3.

Suarez got her break in the fifth game as Gavrilova began sending forehands long.

Defeating Hradecka in convincing fashion definitely added to Gavrilova’s confidence going forward.