The Ukrainian Dayana Yastremska, 93rd player in the world and qualified, qualified for her first major semi-final at the Australian Open by dominating the Czech Linda Noskova (50th) 6-3, 6-4 on Wednesday.
At 23, Yastremska becomes only the second player from qualifying to reach the final four in Melbourne in the Open era (since 1968), after Christine Dorey in 1978.
“It’s nice to write history, I wasn’t even born at that time,” smiled the Odessa native.
For a place in the final, she will face the Chinese Qinwen Zheng, world no. 15, or the Russian Anna Kalinskaya (75th), opposed in the evening.
The poster for the other semi-final has been known since the day before: it will be a replay of the final of the US Open 2023, between Aryna Sabalenka, world No. 2 and holder of the trophy, and Coco Gauff, No. 4 in the world and victorious in New York.
After qualifying, Yastremska has already played – and won – eight matches on the courts of Melbourne Park. She notably brought down the Czech Marketa Vondrousova, world No. 7 and surprise winner of Wimbledon in 2023, in the first round, and the Belarusian Victoria Azarenka, former world No. 1 now 22nd, in the round of 16.
Before the Australian fortnight, Yastremska had never made it past the round of 16 at a Grand Slam (at Wimbledon in 2019).
Noskova, top-50 at 19, was the one who overthrew world No. 1 Iga Swiatek in the 3rd round.
Yastremska, climbed to the gates of the top-20 in 2019 and 2020, before slipping outside the top-100, was cleared in June 2021 on appeal after a positive doping test initially sanctioned by a suspension.
2024-01-24 02:40:00
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