Gibson shows all the aspiring Aussies that it is possible

(Getty/Robert Prange)

I speak on behalf of all the team at The First Serve. It gives us incredible joy to see an Aussie/s take on the world and conquer in arguably the toughest sport there is.

Tennis is a sport where anything is possible. Yes, the margins are small in a huge pool of competitors trying to get the 'W' every time they step on court, and as we know, it is not that uncommon from week to week on tour that a qualifier or a lucky loser can have a run that can change the trajectory of their career.

When it does happen, it makes the tournament storyline even better and for a big contingent of Aussie players not in the absolute top echelon, we have been pondering for some time, can it be an Aussie/s that light up a tournament and be one of the lead stories?

I was in Shanghai last year, and like many, I witnessed the incredible story of Valentin Vacherot, ranked No.204 in the world from Monaco, win a Masters 1000. What the hell! Yes, it can happen, and I remember thinking to myself how good it would be if an Aussie could do this.

Today, under beautiful blue skies in the desert, 21-year-old Talia Gibson from Perth continued her dream Indian Wells run, from qualifying to the quarter finals, defeating a top ten opponent for the first time, 7-5, 2-6, 6-1, dismantling 7th seed Jasmine Paolini.

She has jumped 45 spots in the live rankings to sit at No.67 in the world. Whatever happens from here on in this tournament, it is a game-changing week.

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A tournament of firsts - first WTA 1000 main draw, first time entering the top 100, first top 10 win, first player representing Australia to make the Indian Wells quarterfinals since

qualifier Casey Dellacqua in 2014, and the first qualifier to make the Indian Wells last eight since Lesia Tsurenko in 2015.

We often hear the phrase that you need weapons to progress up the rankings, and Gibson certainly has them - laser of both wings, tallying up 44 winners against Paolini.

We have followed her journey from juniors into the pros, four years of hard work predominantly at ITF level, mounting wins and titles (12 ITF Titles), built on an aggressive game that gives you a chance to make it.

The refinements and subtle shifts will come to complement the Sabalenka-type aggression (whom she referenced in press today as a player she has tried to model her game on).

Gibson will face 14th seed Linda Noskova for a place in the semis.

The other Australian wildcard looking to cover himself in glory is Rinky Hijikata, who will take on Great Britain's Cameron Norrie on Thursday morning at 5am AEDT, also for a spot in the last eight.

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