Kaia Kanepi's reputation as the slayer of stars endures.
The Estonian veteran's CV is increasingly glittering following her elimination of Angelique Kerber at Australian Open 2022.
Never mind that she is currently ranked 115th – Kanepi overpowered Kerber in straight sets on Tuesday evening, sending the Melbourne Park 2016 champion out of the tournament at the first hurdle.
MORE: AO 2022 women's singles draw
Kerber was the No.16 seed in the women's singles – the 14th seeded player Kanepi has beaten in the opening two rounds of majors throughout her career.
Romania's Sorana Cirstea – who upset Petra Kvitova in the opening round – owns more wins over seeds in the first two rounds of Grand Slam events, with 15.
But it is the calibre of Kanepi's opposition which makes her achievements arguably more impactful.
Of the 15 seeds Cirstea has beaten in the opening two rounds at majors, only two were in the top 10. Kanepi, by contrast, owns wins over six top-10 seeds at the same stage.
And when you expand Kanepi's achievements beyond the first two rounds of majors, she has upset eight players ranked in the top 10 – including world No.1 Simona Halep in the first round of the 2018 US Open.
Kerber is the sixth current or future Grand Slam champion Kanepi has stopped at a Slam.
Another of those was Sofia Kenin, the AO 2020 winner whom Kanepi dismissed in just over an hour in the second round of Kenin's title defence.
"She plays good, but I was not really playing my best tennis," Kerber said of Kanepi.
"I tried to find the rhythm and trying to at least coming back. But I think you have sometimes days like this."
However, after casting an eye over the action at Kia Arena, and assessing the stats, Kerber's rhythm – or lack thereof – may have been impacted by what Kanepi was doing up the other end of the court.
She powered 31 winners past Kerber, and feasted on the German's second serve, wrapping up victory in just one hour and 20 minutes.
The 36-year-old, who peaked at world No.15 almost 10 years ago, has appeared in six Grand Slam quarterfinals throughout her career.
Could she notch a seventh at Melbourne Park in 2022?
On Thursday, Kanepi faces Czech world No.86 Marie Bouzkova in an increasingly wide-open quarter of the draw headed by the currently-vulnerable second seed Aryna Sabalenka.