Last year's beaten finalist Dominika Cibulkova has claimed that she is not thinking about the disappointment of finishing as runner-up in 2014 after booking her place in the quarter-finals of the Australian Open.

The 11th seed produced another impressive display in Melbourne to beat two-time champion Victoria Azarenka in three sets, but she insists that coming up short a year ago is not motivating her in this campaign.

"I don't see myself like I have to be in the final. It's never easy. Even the big names, the big players, it's not easy to defend something like this. So I don't think like this," Cibulkova told reporters.

"It's a new year. It's a new start. I'm starting the year pretty well again. So this is how I see it."

Cibulkova will meet Serena Williams in the quarter-finals.