AFPDajana Jastremska
NOS Sport•yesterday, 07:21•Adjusted yesterday, 12:32
Hands were not shaken afterwards by Dajana Jastremska and Victoria Azarenka, as is usual this Australian Open between Ukrainian and Belarusian (or Russian) tennis players. But quarter-finalist Jastremska did hold up her racket in recognition of the two-time winner in Melbourne who she had just defeated 7-6 (6), 6-4.
Because it wasn’t easy. “I think I have to take a thousand breaths, because my heart is pounding out of my body,” said the Ukrainian number 93 in the world. “During the match I had already imagined that I had lost 25 times. It always felt like I was running behind a train. But I am a fighter, that is why I won.”
AFPVictoria Azarenka
It had indeed been close in that first set, in which both players lost their own service games three times. Also in the decisive tiebreak of set one, of all fourteen points, the point on own serve was scored only five times.
A set later, Jastremska forced a break in the important seventh game against Belarusian Azarenka, winner of the Australian Open in 2012 and 2013. The qualifier then skillfully finished the match with two solid service games.
Don’t shake hands
This Australian Open, a gesture with great significance for Ukrainian tennis players is not shaking hands after the match with opponents from Russia or Belarus. Tennis players from Ukraine do it in the hope that the war in their home country will not be forgotten.
“I am doing this for Ukraine. And I think it is right,” Lesia Tsurenko said on Friday after her match against Belarusian Aryna Sabalenka. “The worst part is when you get used to it.” Jastremska said about the war earlier this tournament. “A lot of people forget what’s going on there.”
The opponents are not completely ignored. A racket or a hand is still raised in recognition of the opponent.
In the quarter-finals, Jastremska will meet 19-year-old Czech surprise Linda Noskova (WTA-50), who only had to play three games against another Ukrainian, Elina Svitolina.
Svitolina (WTA-23) retired after being 3-0 behind due to an injury. The first game lasted 11 minutes and twenty points and in the end it hit the Ukrainian’s back.
“I had a spasm, a shooting pain,” she said. “My back was completely locked up, I couldn’t do anything anymore, very sad. I had injuries to my back before, but that was due to fatigue after a match day, but this one came out of nowhere. As if someone shot me in the back.”
AFP
Svitolina is being treated for her back
AFP
Noskova gives Svitolina a hug after her surrender
Noskova, who pulled off a huge upset a round earlier with the elimination of Iga Swiatek, would have preferred to win in a different way, she said. The debutant at the first Grand Slam tournament of the year is in the quarter-finals.
Anna Kalinskaja also qualified for the quarter-finals by beating Jamsine Paolini in straight sets: 6-4, 6-2. The last quarterfinalist is Qinwen Zheng, who defeated the French Oceane Dodin without too much difficulty: 6-0, 6-3. It will be determined on Tuesday and Wednesday who will qualify for the semi-finals in Melbourne.
The last eight women at the Australian Open
These are the quarter-finals of the women’s Grand Slam tournament in Melbourne:
- Linda Noskova – Dajana Jastremska
- Anna Kalinskaja-Qinwen Zheng
- Coco Gauff – Marta Kostyuk
- Aryna Sabalenka – Barbora Krejcikova
