Russia's Nadia Petrova will become the latest woman to find herself in the spotlight when the Justine Henin show rolls into the quarterfinals of the Australian Open on Tuesday.

And while Henin and Petrova face-off in what could be one of the matches of the tournament, Zheng Jie has a great chance to advance Chinese tennis even further when she plays Maria Kirilenko in the second quarter-final.

Henin has taken her fans on an emotional rollercoaster over the first four rounds this year, from an easy win in her first match to epic see-sawing battles in the following three.

The 27-year-old Belgian is playing her first Grand Slam since coming back from an 18-month retirement and is aiming to emulate countrywoman Kim Clijsters, who won the 2009 US Open on her return to the sport.

Henin, the 2004 Australian Open champion, beat fellow Belgian Kirsten Flipkens, Russian pair Elena Dementieva and Alisa Kleybanova and another Belgian, Yanina Wickmayer, on her way to the last eight.

The last three matches all went longer than two hours, with the seven-time Grand Slam winner using her incredible iron will to overcome an aching body not used to such high intensity competition.

Petrova red hot

But Henin will need more than an iron will to overcome Petrova, who has been in red-hot form all tournament, knocking out two reigning Grand Slam champions.

She disposed of Romania's Edina Gallovits in the first round and Estonian Kaia Kinepi in the second before producing almost flawless tennis to destroy US Open champion and 15th seed Clijsters 6-0, 6-1.

She followed that win up by ousting French Open champion and third seed Svetlana Kuznetsova in the fourth round.

Henin and Petrova have played twice since the Belgian's return to the fold, in an exhibition last December and in the first round of the Brisbane International this month.

Henin won both matches and has a 12-2 overall advantage over Petrova, but the Brisbane match was extremely tight, Henin winning 7-5, 7-5.

"I know how well she can play," Henin said of Petrova.

"I played her in Brisbane - it was a very good match, very good quality.

"In this tournament she's confident. She played a great match against Kim, got more confidence against Kuznetsova, so I know it's going to be a big fight."

A supremely confident Petrova said she had learned from her two recent losses to Henin.

"As long as I'm in this happy state of mind and I'm performing like I've done the last couple of matches, I honestly don't care (who I face)," she said.

Zheng created history by becoming the first Chinese woman to reach the quarter-finals in Melbourne, then boldly predicted that she and Li Na could both make the semis.

She has a good chance to fulfil her side of the prediction when she plays the glamorous Kirilenko, a player she has beaten four times in five matches.

The tenacious Zheng has battled through the draw, beating countrywoman Peng Shuai, 24th seed Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez, 11th seed Marion Bartoli and 31st seed Alona Bondarenki.

Kirilenko has had a much easier time of it.

After outlasting fellow pin-up Maria Sharapova in the first round, Austrian Yvonne Meusburger in the second and Roberta Vinci in the third, Kirilenko was handed passage into the quarters when Dinara Safina withdrew injured.

"I am expecting to have a very tough match," Kirilenko said of her clash with Zheng.

"I saw her match, she is like, well, not missing any balls."