Ukrainian qualifier Yastremska tops Azarenka to reach Australian Open quarterfinals
Qualifier Dayana Yastremska continued her fairytale run into the quarter-finals of the Australian Open in Melbourne on Monday with a 7-6(6) 6-4 upset of twice former champion and 18th seed Victoria Azarenka.
The Ukrainian world number 93, who stunned Wimbledon champion Marketa Vondrousova in the first round, had to fight hard but was rewarded for her aggression with 38 winners to forge on into a half of the draw devoid of top 10 seeds.
“I feel like my heart is going to jump out of my body,” the 23-year-old said after the biggest win of her career.
“I was losing the tiebreak, I was losing the second set, I was always felt like I was running behind the train. But I think I’m a little bit of a fighter so that’s why I won this match.”
From qualifying to QUARTERFINALS 🙌<a href=”https://twitter.com/D_Yastremska?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>@D_Yastremska</a> delivers her best-ever Grand Slam result!<a href=”https://twitter.com/hashtag/AusOpen?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>#AusOpen</a> • <a href=”https://twitter.com/wwos?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>@wwos</a> • <a href=”https://twitter.com/espn?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>@espn</a> • <a href=”https://twitter.com/eurosport?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>@eurosport</a> • <a href=”https://twitter.com/wowowtennis?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>@wowowtennis</a> <a href=”https://t.co/wCR1plg9Ea”>pic.twitter.com/wCR1plg9Ea</a>
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In a punishing baseline battle with virtually no net play, Yastremska got the first of the six breaks of serve in the opening set only for Azarenka to rattle off the next four games to edge in front.
Azarenka, back-to-back champion in 2012-2013 and a Melbourne semi-finalist last year, served for the set but Yastremska kept up the pressure through five deuces and finally converted her fourth break point to force a tiebreak.
The tiebreak was just as tight but the Ukrainian sealed it with her 21st winner, a blistering forehand that was just too fast and too deep for 34-year-old Azarenka.
The Ukrainian stalled Azarenka’s progress and then went back on the attack, finding her rasping winners again to win five straight games.
She held her nerve serving for the match two games later, lashing across one more big backhand to set up a meeting with Czech world number 50 Linda Noskova in her first Grand Slam quarter-final.
Noskova advances to quarters after Svitolina retires
Czech teenager Linda Noskova advanced to her first Grand Slam quarterfinal at the Australian Open on Monday after Elina Svitolina retired due to a back injury early in the first set.
The Ukrainian player, who was in tears, had a medical timeout at 2-0 down and was trailing 3-0 when she decided to quit.
“Obviously today was not the way I had planned to win,” said the 19-year-old Noskova, who beat top-ranked Iga Swiatek in the third round. “I feel sort for Elina, I hope she gets very well soon.”
The first game of the match lasted 11 minutes and contained 20 points. Noskova broke serve and held for 2-0 before Svitolina had a timeout.
When she returned, the Ukrainian player had had her serve broken for a second time. She shook Noskova’s hand and retired.
