By Richard Pagliaro | @Tennis_Now | Tuesday, January 23, 2024
Dayana Yastremska topped teenager Linda Noskova 6-3, 6-4 to become the first qualifier since 1978 to advance to the Australian Open semifinals.
Photo credit: Phil Walter/Getty
The journey from Australian Open qualifier to title contender has been a transformative trip for Dayana Yastremska.
The world No. 93 continues to relish the ride.
More: Richard Evans Q&A
A bold Yastremska belted 19 winners shredding Linda Noskova 6-3, 6-4 to advance to her maiden Grand Slam semifinal at the Australian Open.
The 23-year-old Yastremska is the second qualifier in the Open Era to reach the Australian Open women’s singles semifinals after Christine Dorey in 1978 and she’s the fifth qualifier to reach a major final four in the Open Era.
“I think it’s nice to play history because at that time I wasn’t born,” Yastremska said in her on-court interview. “I’m super happy and tired.
“I arrived on third of January here and one day when I have a match the day goes very fast when I have a day off it seems like six months I’m here already. I like Melbourne I have good memory from playing junior finals here.”
The magical Melbourne memories keep mounting for the former world No. 21. Yastremska, who has already knocked off a pair of Grand Slam champions—she crushed Wimbledon winner Marketa Vondrousova in round one and defeated two-time AO champion Victoria Azarenka in the fourth round—is bidding to become the first qualifier to reach a major final since Emma Radacanu captured the 2021 US Open crown.
This is already the best Australian Open run by a Ukrainian woman in history. Yastremska, who signed the court-side camera “I’m proud of our fighting people from Ukraine,” will try to channel that spirit into an AO final run.
Yastremska will play either 12th-seeded Zheng Qinwen or 75th-ranked Anna Kalinskaya for a spot in Saturday’s final. She’s spent 13 hours, 40 minutes on court—by far the longest of any semifinalist, so how will Yastremska recover for that semifinal?
Today, Yastremska beat back fatigue and the talented teenager with masterful first-strike tennis. Yastremska cracked 19 winners, more than tripling Noskova’s 6 winner total.
The 19-year-old Noskova shocked top-seeded Iga Swiatek in round three becoming the youngest woman to defeat a reigning world No. 1 in a major in 15 years.
In today’s quarterfinal between players clad head-to-toe in Yonex gear, the game plan was simple: grip and rip.
Through the opening set, Yastremska hit harder and cleaner and often forced the Czech to play off her back foot. Noskova would have been wise to back off the baseline a bit or try to play with more height and angle, but instead opted to bang the ball with Yastremska and ultimately could not hang.
Driving the ball deep through the middle of the court, Noskova denied Yastremska access to angles and banged out a netted forehand, drawing first-break blood for 2-1.
The Ukrainian qualifier came back, bolting backhand winners to break back at 15 and level after four games.
Yastremska saved a break point then fired a diagonal forehand winner holding for 4-3.
In the next game, Noskova played a bounce smash right back at the Ukrainian and paid a price as Yastremska whipped a backhand pass down the line. Another crackling forehand winner helped Yastremska break again for 5-3.
Slamming a diagonal forehand winner, Yastremska capped a confident opening set in 36 minutes. Yastremska nearly tripled Noskova’s winner output—11 to 4—in the first set.
It’s been quite a ride for Yastremska, who was provisionally suspended for a doping violation back in 2021. However, the ITF announced in June of 2021 it accepted Yastremska’s account of how the Mesterolone entered her system and determined her to be at no fault for the violation and eligible to return immediately.
The Odessa-born baseliner has spoken openly about how Russia’s unprovoked invasion of Ukraine has impacted her family and mind set.
Though she arrived at this quarterfinal having spent six hours, eight minutes longer on court than Noskova, it was Yastremska who exuded more energy.
Noskova charged through a love hold for a 3-2 second-set lead.
Undaunted, Yastremska was commanding the center of the court whipping drives into both corners that left the Czech teenager flat footed at times.
Not only was Yastremska beating Noskova to the punch, the world No. 50 looked clueless at times trying to decipher the direction of her opponent’s drives. Yastremska battered out a backhand error breaking for a 4-3 second-set lead.
Serving for the semifinals, Yastremska’s would-be ace was nullified by a foot fault call. Instead of a 30-love lead, she was facing a 15-all score.
Shaky shot selection from Noskova cost her in the final game. At 30-all, Noskova got a look at a second serve, but instead of playing a deep return she went all in and slapped a forehand into net. Yastremska banged one final serve out wide becoming the fifth qualifier to reach a major semifinal in the Open Era.
“Maybe I play good, but I didn’t felt like I’m playing really good,” Yastremska said. “I just tried to play like I could because really I’m a little bit tired. Everything I have left is just fighting.”