Victoria Azarenka insisted on Monday the upsets of Serena Williams and Maria Sharapova did not make the job of defending her Australian Open title any easier as she blasted into the last eight.

The Belarusian is poised to become the first woman to win the title in three consecutive years since Martina Hingis between 1997-99.

But the 24-year-old said there were plenty of possible roadblocks ahead.