Australian Open 2024 results: Dayana Yastremska to face Zheng Qinwen in semi-finals

Dayana Yastremska expresses her “mission” to demonstrate pride in her homeland, Ukraine, following her achievement as the first qualifier since 1978 to reach the Australian Open semi-finals. Yastremska swiftly defeated Czech teenager Linda Noskova 6-3, 6-4 in 78 minutes and is set to face China’s Zheng Qinwen in the semifinals.

Both Yastremska and Zheng are set to make their first major semi-final appearances, with Zheng previously reaching the US Open quarter-finals last year. Yastremska’s historic feat makes her the second qualifier in the Open era to reach the Melbourne Park last four after Christine Dorey in the 1978 tournament.

Yastremska, once a highly rated prospect, faced a provisional ban in 2021 for a failed doping test, which was later lifted after an independent tribunal attributed the positive test to contamination. She has triumphed over Grand Slam champions Marketa Vondrousova and Victoria Azarenka on her way to the semi-finals, aiming to emulate Emma Raducanu’s historic qualifier victory in the 2021 US Open.

On the other hand, Zheng Qinwen, inspired by Li Na, becomes the first Chinese player since Li Na’s 2014 title to reach the Australian Open women’s singles semi-finals. The final, on the 10th anniversary of Li’s win, marks the last time a Chinese player secured a major singles title. Zheng’s victory over Kalinskaya propels her into the world’s top 10, a fact she discovers during her post-match interview, adding another layer of motivation to her remarkable journey.