Defending champion Madison Keys blew hot and cold before getting over the line 6-1, 7-5 against fellow American Ashlyn Krueger to make the Australian Open third round on Thursday.
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Keys, who upset Aryna Sabalenka in last year's final, admitted after her laboured first-round win that she was a bundle of nerves and "too timid".
The 29-year-old threw off the shackles in the first set against the 92nd-ranked Krueger, taking it in just 23 minutes on John Cain Arena before losing focus and having to rally from 2-5 down in the second.
"I started really well and Ash a little slowly," said Keys, who began her season with quarterfinal exits at Brisbane and Adelaide.
"I fully expected her to raise her level and she did. It got away from me a bit."
After taking more than an hour to win the first set in the opening round, Keys rushed through it this time on a cool Melbourne Park morning, breaking on three occasions.
Hitting well and pushing Krueger around the court, the ninth seed looked ominous and held to love in opening her second set account.
But Krueger, consulting a book at the changeovers, upped her intensity and against the odds broke Keys to lead 3-2 after the American's serve imploded, double-faulting three times.
Keys was broken again, to love and once more on a double-fault, to slump 5-2 behind as she lost focus.
However, she gathered herself to break back then held before a double-fault on break point from Krueger in the next game put her back in the hunt and the title-holder made no mistake in sealing the win.
She will meet either Karolina Pliskova of the Czech Republic or Indonesian prospect Janice Tjen next.
BITTER-SWEET AS PEGULA CRUSHES DOUBLES PARTNER
Jessica Pegula laid down an Australian Open marker with a 58-minute annihilation of McCartney Kessler, but admitted to mixed emotions with the victim her doubles partner.
Sixth seed Pegula, who made the last eight at Melbourne Park in 2021, 2022 and 2023, blasted past her fellow American 6-0, 6-2 on Rod Laver Arena.
Her reward is a third-round clash with unseeded Russian Oksana Selekhmeteva who bundled out last year's semifinalist Paula Badosa 6-4, 6-4.
It was a bitter-sweet victory for the 31-year-old, with Kessler a friend and on-court partner.
"Always tricky when you have to play someone that you know and that you like and also that you're playing doubles with," she said.
"That part was kind of just unfortunate, I guess, because, you know, we obviously want to see each other do well separately in singles, not when we have to play each other."
The pair lost in the doubles first round on Wednesday to Gabriela Dabrowski and Luisa Stefani.
Despite not being happy with knocking out a friend, Pegula was pleased with her level as she looks to better her best Grand Slam performance – making the US Open final in 2024.
"I thought I played a very clean match, kind of executed exactly what I wanted to from the start," she said.
"Maybe got a little help from her end, but at the same time was able to really just play a super-clean match and kind of do what I wanted to from start to finish.
"When those days come around, you take them and you run on with those to the next day."
ANISIMOVA GRINDS DOWN SINIAKOVA IN 'CRAZY' CLASH
Fourth seed Amanda Anisimova pummelled doubles specialist Katerina Siniakova into submission in a "crazy" second-round clash.
The dangerous American, who burst to prominence last year by making the finals of Wimbledon and the US Open, battled past the Czech player 6-1, 6-4 on Margaret Court Arena.
While Anisimova cruised through the first set in 35 minutes she met far stiffer resistance in the second from Siniakova, the reigning Australian Open doubles champion and 10-time Slam winner.
"That was quite a tough match. It was getting a little crazy in the second set," said the 24-year-old, who won titles in Doha and Beijing last year.
"I mean, playing against Katerina, she's such a legend. Just hearing how many Grand Slams she's won every time in doubles is just insane.
"Obviously she was really giving me a run for my money there. But it was an incredible match, and it felt so great to have such a competitive battle out there."
Anisimova is bidding to go beyond the last 16 at the Australian Open for the first time, with her prospects looking good on current form.
She faces 68th-ranked Peyton Stearns next after her fellow American eased past Croatia's Petra Marcinko 6-2, 7-5.
Siniakova failed to pose a threat in the opening set after being broken in game three.
The world No 4 burst out the blocks again with another early break in the second set and was largely untroubled until a marathon sixth game.
It went to eight deuces before a netted backhand allowed Siniakova to level the set at 3-3 before another ding-dong battle in the next game.
That too went to eight deuces with Siniakova again coming out on top.
But the Czech had used up her reserves and ran out of fight as Anisimova moved up a gear to win the final two games and the match.
Anisimova reached her first major final at Wimbledon in 2025 only to be thrashed 6-0, 6-0 by Iga Swiatek, then made it back-to-back Grand Slam deciders by repeating the feat at the US Open.
She again lost but pushed world No 1 Aryna Sabalenka hard in a 6-3, 7-6 (7/3) defeat.
SWIATEK IN CRUISE CONTROL TO MAKE THIRD ROUND
Six-time Grand Slam winner Iga Swiatek turned on the style to motor past Marie Bouzkova and into the Australian Open third round Thursday as she limbers up for a crack at a first Melbourne title.
The Polish second seed was in cruise control against the Czech player as the sun went down at John Cain Arena, sprinting to the finish 6-2, 6-3 in front of a vocal group of fans.
It set up a clash next against Russian world number 33 Anna Kalinskaya who swept past Austria's Julia Grabher 6-3, 6-3.
"I felt great playing today," said Swiatek.
"I felt more freedom than in the first round and I wanted to just go for it. I'm really happy with the performance, for sure.
"I'm trying to appreciate every match, and take nothing for granted," she added.
Swiatek has won four French Opens, the US Open and Wimbledon, but a title at Melbourne Park has proved elusive, with the 24-year-old making the semifinals twice.
Last year, she surged into the last four but failed to get past eventual winner Madison Keys.
Swiatek arrived in Melbourne this year on the back of two singles defeats at the lead-up United Cup and was then pushed hard by Chinese qualifier Yuan Yue in round one.
She was more convincing against Bouzkova, cutting down on the 35 unforced errors made against Yuan to 27, while blasting 31 winners.
Serving was an issue for both players early on, exchanging first-set breaks before Swiatek got into her rhythm to take charge.
The Pole served to love to open set two, but a pair of baseline errors handed the Czech a break and she consolidated for a 3-1 advantage.
But it was a fleeting lead with Swiatek levelling at 3-3 and making the crucial break for 5-3 with a backhand winner before serving out for the match.