The dream run continues for Dayana Yastremska after she defeated teenager Linda Noskova on Wednesday to become the first qualifier in 45 years to reach the Australian Open semifinals.
The world No.93 was impressive from the off, her focus steely and aggression sustained throughout for a 6-3 6-4 victory over the 19-year-old.
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The one-hour, 18-minute triumph marked Yastremska’s eighth straight victory at Melbourne Park and made her just the third Ukrainian after Elina Svitolina and Andrei Medvedev to reach a major semifinal.
She became only the second qualifier after Christine Dorey at AO 1978 to progress to the last four at Melbourne Park.
“It's nice to make a history. It's something new for me and for my generation because the last time it happened it was a long time ago. I wasn't born yet,” Yastremska said. “It's nice. I'm really happy to be in my first semifinals. I was a little bit nervous, but at the same time tired.
“I think I was a little bit too emotional. Today before my match I got angry at the practice at my coach, but that's fine because I could put my emotions away. Yeah, another step is done.”
Before their first clash, Noskova predicted few lengthy exchanges such was her opponent’s aggression.
After early breaks were traded that much became clear.
This was destined to be a showdown of first-strike tennis as both women went for broke under full sun at Rod Laver Arena.
Both were thumping the ball at a similar pace, but the 23-year-old was generating more spin and threaded a tracer-like backhand pass on her way to breaking for 5-3. The set was hers after 36 minutes.
Bidding to become the youngest semifinalist at the Australian Open since fellow Czech Nicole Vaidisova in 2007, Noskova was arguably the biggest story of the first week at Melbourne Park after she played so magnificently to stun world No.1 Iga Swiatek in the third round.
She was yet to be tested, having taken the court for just three games before former world No.3 Svitolina called it quits due to a back injury, and never really found the same level in her first Slam quarterfinal.
“It was really hot today compared to other days, I think. The balls were flying a lot. She was playing really fast, as well,” Noskova said.
“I kind of felt like I wasn't 100 per cent on court today, maybe because of the fact I didn't really play the previous match, so I had two days off.
“I didn't manage to put myself and put my head into the match from the beginning. So she was just in lead and in control the whole time. That was not what I wanted, but I couldn't do much with it.”
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Yastremska landed the critical break at 3-all in the second set and was never overtaken as she secured a showdown against either 12th seed Zheng Qinwen or unseeded Anna Kalinskaya for a place in her first Grand Slam final.
A decision to not overthink how far she had come or the tremendous opportunity before her had served the former world No.21 well. There was no need to think any differently towards the pointy end of a major.
“For me it feels same. I don't know why. Feels very comfortable and feels like at home,” Yastremska said. “I had already experience at Wimbledon when I get to the second week, but I lost fourth round there, so I couldn't really feel it, you know, how is it.
“And here you're tough, focus on the matches, on the process, on the routines, that the time goes… pretty fast.
“You don't have much time to analyse how is it and how it feels, but for sure when everything is going to be done here, then I will have a lot of time to think about it, how I felt and the emotions I had. For now, I'm enjoying to be here in the second week."