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Ajla Tomljanovic appears to be rediscovering her mojo on the comeback trail just in time for another crack at a deep Wimbledon run.
Australia's former number one enjoyed the feel of the grass beneath her feet at Edgbaston again as she battled into the quarterfinal of the Birmingham Classic event that has become a staple of the season in the build-up to the SW19 slam.
It is Tomljanovic's first visit to the last eight of a WTA tournament since she reached the semis in Brazil last November, before a difficult injury and illness-hit spell.
The 31-year-old reckoned her uneven but undoubtedly fascinating 6-7 (6-8), 6-1, 6-4 victory over China's Zhu Lin on Wednesday was exactly the sort of contest that inspired her to make a gutsy comeback to the top level after a trying time.
"I went through it all for exactly this," Tomljanovic told the Birmingham crowd.
"I just really wanted to be back out here playing matches like this.
"And even when I was nervous and negative, I just tried to remind myself that this is what I worked for, and that I should kind of enjoy the moments even though it's really tense.
"So to be through now, I'm really relieved."
It was a match that betrayed the ring-rustiness of the former Wimbledon and US Open quarterfinalist, who only made her comeback a month ago after having been sidelined for four months following a knee injury and surgery to remove non-cancerous uterine tumours.
Tomljanovic, who also reached the quarterfinals in an ITF event at Surbiton last week, will next face Canadian sixth seed Leylah Fernandez, the former US Open finalist.
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AAP
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