Madison Brengle has claimed that she feels luckier than ever to be competing at the Australian Open after a recent cancer scare.
The American was only recently given the all-clear to return to action following a procedure to remove a cancerous mole from her knee, and she admits that the threat to her health is encouraging her to enjoy the challenge in Melbourne.
"It's incredible, I could not be happier," Brengle revealed on the court after beating Coco Vandeweghe in the third round. "I didn't know I was coming to Australia until two weeks before I left.
"So being here, getting to play out here, it's amazing. It's the first time I've played on a stadium like this, so, I'd like to do it again.
"Every time I go out there, I kind of appreciate it a little bit more than I used to because you're not aware of how lucky we are to be healthy until you have a scare like that. I'm very appreciative to have my health."
Brengle's previous best performance at a Grand Slam was a second-round appearance at last year's US Open.
Callum Mulvihill
