The Ukrainian qualifier, Dayana Yastremska, claimed that after defeating Victoria Azarenka to attend the Australian Open quarterfinals, she felt like her “heart was going to jump out of her body.”
Dayana Yastremska
Dayana Yastremska, a qualifier, stunned twice-champion and 18th seed Victoria Azarenka on Monday to carry her incredible run into the Australian Open quarterfinals, winning 7-6(6) 6-4. The 23-year-old Ukrainian had to battle hard to advance past 38 winners and into half of the draw without any top-10 seeds. Still, her aggressive play paid off, as she upset Wimbledon champion Marketa Vondrousova in the opening round.
Dayana Yastremska won the first six breakaways of serve in the opening set, but Azarenka won the next four games to take the lead in a bruising baseline duel with essentially little net play. Azarenka, the 2012–2013 doubles champion and last year’s Melbourne semifinalist, served to start the set, but Yastremska persisted, forcing five deuces before converting her fourth break point to force a tiebreak.
The Ukrainian won the match with her 21st winner, a blasting forehand that was too deep and quick for Azarenka, 34. The tiebreak was equally close. After the first set, both players had long stops to use the loo. The Belarusian Azarenka came out swinging, taking the lead 3-0 nearly before Dayana Yastremska could gather her breath. After stopping Azarenka’s advancement, the Ukrainian launched a counterattack and found her rasping victories once more to win five games in a row. Two games later, she maintained her composure while serving to win the match and set herself up for a first-ever Grand Slam quarterfinal matchup with Czech world number 50 Linda Noskova.
The 19-year-old Noskova advanced without much effort when Svitolina, the previous world number three, could not win her match at Margaret Court Arena. After being broken twice in the first set, the 19th seed required a medical timeout at 2-0 down to undergo treatment for her lower back. When she returned, she was broken again and had to withdraw.
