While the pointy end of this year's Australian Open is bereft of local talent, the same can't be said at junior level with three Australians qualifying for the semi-finals at Melbourne Park on Thursday.
Spain-based Sydneysider Alex De Minaur and Brisbane native Oliver Anderson have won through to the semi-finals of the boys' tournament, while Bernad Tomic's sister Sara is also through to the final four of the girls' event. 
Qualifier Tomic moved within two wins of joining Bernard on the honour roll and completing a rare family double with a 6-1, 5-7, 6-2 defeat of fellow Australian Baijing Lin in her junior Open farewell.
Tomic said she had lost focus and allowed her opponent back into the match after suffering from stomach pain during the second set. But the almost-18-year-old is reaping the rewards of several months working with Serbian trainer Zarko Pradonovic, her fitness and movement significantly better as a result.
"Definitely I've improved a lot of my weaknesses - that was getting to the ball, so now I can actually run to the ball now, and I feel like my defence has definitely improved," said Tomic, who plays third seed Vera Lapko for a place in Saturday's final.
"And there's a lot of times especially in the juniors where you get a ball back and they might miss it, so it's really hunting the ball down and trying to grind and hopefully they miss.
"If you work hard it's gonna come eventually and last few days it's showing up well that I'm getting a lot of balls now and I definitely think I've improved a lot in a lot of areas.
"I'm really happy. Obviously I'm really hungry for winning, and I just really want to do well and always do my best on the court so I'm happy and proud the way I've been performing and giving my best and trying to grind and get all the balls and serving hopefully better, so we'll see."
As for emulating her brother, who won the 2008 boys' title at 15, and is now ranked 17th in the world: "I'm trying to win. It would be nice. It would be really a dream to be on the board. If not, then what can you do. I'm just going to go out tomorrow and do my best, like always."
The Tomics would become the first Australian sister and brother duo to win Australian junior singles titles since Lorraine Coghlan (1956) and Will Coghlan (1960).
Meanwhile, De Minaur will face either seventh seed Jurabek Karimov (Uzbekistan) or No.13 seed Yosuke Watanuki (Japan) in the semis after he accounted for Greek third seed Stefanos Tsitsipas 6-7 (3-7), 7-5, 6-0.
De Minaur was knocked out in the first round at last year's event and he puts his vast improvement down to his maturing body.
"I think I've got a little bit stronger, a little bit quicker," he said. "I grew a bit. Before, I used to be a little bit smaller so I got pushed around a little bit easier. Now I can sort of get my way back into rallies."
The 17-year-old described this year's tournament as an "unbelievable experience" and the prospect of an all-Australian final against Anderson, who defeated compatriot Max Purcell 3-6, 6-4, 6-4 "would be nice".
Anderson plays South Korean Chung Yunseong in his semi-final.
Emerging Australian stars Nick Kyrgios and Thanasi Kokkinakis enjoyed success as juniors at the Australian Open and De Minaur was using the pair as inspiration.
"It would be amazing if we could all have the progression that Nick or Thanasi had so we'll see how it goes," he said.
"I'm feeling good about myself. We'll see if that progression happens, if it happens a little bit slower I'm fine with that. It's about adapting to the situation and trying to make the best out of it."