David Goffin has slayed powerful Austrian Dominic Thiem to become the first Belgian man to ever reach the quarter-finals of the Australian Open.

The 11th seed won through to the last eight with a 5-7 7-6 (7-4) 6-2 6-2 victory on Monday afternoon, achieved in two hours and 43 minutes.

The win – achieved in sweltering Melbourne conditions – was Goffin’s first against top-10 opposition at a grand slam, at his 10th attempt.

Goffin said momentum swung in the second set.

“The second set was definitely the key. It was a tough first set,” the 26-year-old said.

“I continued and kept fighting. Served really well. And I made some good returns in the tiebreak.

“I continued to push, push myself in the rallies and I got better and better, game after game.”

The world No.11’s reward is a top-10 ranking for the first time when the next ATP rankings are released, and progression to a clash with Grigor Dimitrov or Denis Istomin on Wednesday.

The win equals his best grand slam result – achieved at the French Open last year.

Goffin’s name has barely been mentioned in a list of probable grand slam winners but the prospect is becoming more likely; there are only a handful of players ranked above him left in the tournament.

While others have said that the huge number of upsets at Melbourne Park has given them a mental lift, Goffin said he wasn’t motivated by the ‘anything is possible’ atmosphere.

“I’m feeling more confident for the moment against top players,” he said.

“I knew that I had the level. The key was to play my best tennis … I’m doing that more often than in the past. That’s why I’m more confident and I win some more matches.”