There is no long list of great tennis champions from the tiny European nation of Andorra, which has a population of just over 75,000 residents and includes only 468 square kilometres of mountainous terrain. But in the Jimenez household, you can count at least two.

On Wednesday at the Australian Open, 14-year-old Victoria Jimenez Kasintseva of Andorra, the youngest player in the girls’ junior draw, survived three match points to advance to the quarter-finals, with father Joan Jimenez-Guerra, a former world No.505 on the ATP Tour, and her coach, watching on.

“I am really happy and love representing Andorra, it’s a pleasure,” Jimenez Kasintseva told itftennis.com. “My father is my coach since day one; he’s always been there for me. He is my tennis.”

Jimenez Kasintseva saved three match points in a roller coaster affair against Italy’s Melania Delai, the Andorran trailing for much of the two-hour and 57-minute affair. She booked her spot in the quarter-finals with a 3-6, 7-6(7), 7-6(10-7) effort.

“I’m proud that I stayed strong; I didn’t give up. I saved three match points,” said Jimenez Kasintseva, who speaks five languages. “I have nothing to prove yet. I’m going to fight for every point. I want to be happy on the court, it’s incredible to be here. I want to enjoy it.”

All 16 third round matches took place on a bustling Wednesday at Melbourne Park, as the quarter-final line-up was set for both the girls’ and boys’ singles draws. While France’s Harold Mayot, the No.1 seed for the boys, and No.2 Martin Damm of the U.S., remain, there have been a series of upsets across both events, with just six top-eight seeds advancing between them.

Damm’s American compatriot, No.2-seeded Robin Montgomery, used her lefty power to crunch 21 winners in a 6-2, 6-3 triumph over Australia’s lone remaining hope, Olivia Gadecki.

While Montgomery is set to meet Jimenez Kasintseva for a spot in the semi-finals, 16th seed Hong Yi “Cody” Wong hit 16 winners of her own to upset the No.4 seed, Alexandra Eala of the Philippines.

Wong, 17, is like Jimenez Kasintseva is representing a place that doesn’t have an ample tennis past: Hong Kong. She trains at the Hong Kong Sport Institute, and for three years served as a ball girl for the professional-level WTA event, which in recent years has included Naomi Osaka, Venus Williams and the newly-retired Caroline Wozniacki.

“I loved it,” Wong said of being a ball girl, though from 2016-18 she played in the qualifying draw of the same event. “I loved watching [those champions] play – it inspired me so much.

Asked if she’d like to become a top-ranked pro herself, she said: “I wish I can be that person. I will just try to be my best. I will play with my best tennis.”

Wong will meet Weronika Baszak of Poland in the quarter-finals, who continues her dream run through the draw after taking out No.5 seed Linda Fruhvirtova in the first round.

In the other girls’ quarters: Alexandra Vecic, of Germany, will meet No.12 seed Ane Mintegi Del Olmo of Spain, and 8th-seeded Polina Kudermetova takes on Bai Zhuoxuan of China, the No.13 seed.

Mayot will turn 18 next Tuesday, and would like nothing more than to start his 2020 season with a first-ever Grand Slam title, having been a semi-finalist at Wimbledon last year and making the championship match at the ITF Junior Finals in Chengdu, China, one of the most prestigious events for junior players outside of the majors.

“Wimbledon gave me a lot of confidence — so did Chengdu. It has helped me with experience,” said Mayot, who trains in Paris at the national centre near Roland Garros, where he often gets advice from the likes of Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, Gael Monfils and Gilles Simon among others.

“I’ve played three straight-set matches here,” he said after a 6-3, 6-2 win over American Alex Bernard. “I have my mark here now. I’m happy for today’s victory. This is my first goal of the year. It’s a good start for me.”

While Mayot will play No.7 seed Dominic Stephan Stricker of Switzerland, his French training mate Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard earned his way into the last eight, as well, where he meets another French up-and-comer, Timo Legout.

Like Mayot, Damm was a semi-finalist at the All England Club last year, holding a match point in his semi versus eventual winner Shintaro Mochizuki before falling 10-8 in an extra-innings deciding set.

It’s an experience that gives the 16-year-old American, son of the former Grand Slam-winning doubles player by the same name, confidence that he can go deep at the biggest events in the 2020 season.

“I’m super motivated,” Damm said. “Who knows what would have happened (if that match point went differently)?”

Damm has trained with Mochizuki at IMG Academy in Florida since age 13, as well as Toby Kodat, whom Damm has known since he was five years old. The trio, who have all had big-time juniors success, are driving one another.

“We play together, we push each other pretty hard,” Damm said. “We do fitness, we eat together, we do everything [together]. The bond between us is pretty strong.”

Damm will have a strong test in French No.5 seed Arthur Cazaux in the quarter-finals, while No.12 Karlis Ozolins of Latvia takes on Egor Agafonov of Russia in the other bottom-half quarter.

Damm could speak for both himself and Mayot when he talks about those aforementioned big expectations for this year: “I want to win a Slam. Get that off of my chest. I’m taking it one match at a time. That’s all that matters to me. If I win it, that would be a bonus.”

It’s a bonus, too, for the small nation of Andorra to have a rising start like Jimenez Kasintseva. The 14-year-old said she was most proud of her self-belief in her nearly three-hour contest on Wednesday. Words wise beyond her years.

“I was good with myself, trying to be positive,” she said of what made her most proud in her victory. “I think that’s why I won. Every match is tough. I want to go match by match.”