Yastremska and Zheng Make History with First Grand Slam Semifinal Appearances

Dayana Yastremska and Zheng Qinwen have written their names into tennis history, securing their places in the first Grand Slam semifinals of their careers. In the women’s singles at the Australian Open, Yastremska, a 93rd-ranked Ukrainian who had to fight her way through the qualifiers, continued her remarkable run by defeating Linda Noskova in straight sets, 6-3, 6-4. This achievement makes Yastremska only the second qualifier to reach the Australian Open semifinals in the Open era, following in the footsteps of Christine Matison in 1978.

“It’s truly a remarkable feeling to make history, especially considering that I was not even born in 1978. I’m overjoyed but also exhausted,” expressed Yastremska after her victory.

Noskova, who had previously beaten top-ranked Naomi Osaka, took an early lead by breaking Yastremska’s serve for a 2-1 advantage in the first set. However, Yastremska responded immediately, breaking back and taking control of the match. She secured another break to lead 5-2 and closed out the set.

In the second set, Yastremska’s break in the seventh game proved decisive, leading her to clinch the victory and a historic semifinal spot.

Meanwhile, the 12th-seeded Zheng Qinwen fought back after dropping the first set against Anna Kalinskaya, eventually winning 6-7 (4), 6-3, 6-1. Zheng, from China, will enter the top 10 rankings following her impressive performance at the Australian Open.

In her first Grand Slam quarterfinal, Kalinskaya initially gifted Zheng with a break when she double-faulted. However, Zheng quickly returned the favor, resulting in a closely contested set that ended in a tiebreak. Kalinskaya triumphed in the tiebreak, securing the set with a powerful backhand.

In the second set, Zheng faced a 3-2 deficit before finding her rhythm and winning 10 of the next 11 games. The momentum carried into the third set, with Zheng winning 12 consecutive points. Leading 4-1, Kalinskaya required a medical timeout for treatment on her upper right leg. Despite her return, Zheng swiftly closed out the match.

“I’m really excited. This is a first for me,” said Zheng, expressing her joy at reaching the semifinals. “I’m incredibly happy with such an exceptional performance.”

The stage is now set for Thursday’s semifinals, which will see Yastremska and Zheng face off against each other. Defending champion Ashleigh Barty and US Open winner Leylah Fernandez will also battle it out for a place in the final.