“Dayana played unbelievable tennis,” Qinwen Zheng gushes with praise for opponent Dayana Yastremska as she halts the Ukrainian’s dream run at the 2024 Australian Open

Qinwen Zheng emerged victorious against Yastremska after a tense battle spanning two closely contested sets.

“Dayana played unbelievable tennis,” Qinwen Zheng gushes with praise for opponent Dayana Yastremska as she halts the Ukrainian’s dream run at the 2024 Australian Open

Qinwen Zheng and Dayana Yastremska (Credit: Reuters and New York Post)

10 years after Li Na became a Grand Slam finalist, Qinwen Zheng won the Australian Open semi-final to grab a place at her maiden GS final. Facing off against Ukrainian player Dayana Yastremska, Zheng played remarkable tennis and quashed her opponent without dropping a set.

In her post-match on-court interview, Zheng shared her feelings for the match. She felt unbelievably amazing and was excited after having such a tremendous performance. 

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The young tennis star further revealed how it is tough to explain her feelings, but thanked the Australian crowd for all the support. That’s not all, she also lauded her opponent. 

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It feels unbelievable. I mean I’m super excited to have such a great performance today. Dayana played unbelievable tennis. It’s tough to explain my feelings now. The real first time here in Australia.
She said in a post match interview

Interestingly enough, the 21-year-old shared glimpses of her practice and the hard work that goes on off the court. She talked about the hard work she and her team have been putting in almost every day, especially in fitness and treatment. As per her, the basic and small details are the ones that help the most.

Thanks again to my team. I can’t do it without you guys.
She said whole thanking her team

Zheng will be facing defending champion Aryna Sabalenka in the final on Saturday. Sabalenka secured her spot by defeating US Open Champion Coco Gauff in a competitive two-set match. Zheng needs to gather herself up, as the Belarusian is a tough nut to crack.

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Zheng triumphs in gritty duel against Yastremska

Yastremska took an early lead, capitalizing on Zheng’s fragility. On second serves, she displayed her strong backhand power to go up 2-0. However, her dominance waned in the third game, which saw a remarkable turnaround. 

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Qinwen Zheng celebrates her maiden Grand Slam semifinal qualification (Image via Imago)

Despite coming back from a 0-40 hole and even holding a point to increase her advantage to 3-0, her game unraveled with a string of four double faults.

Zheng then improved her performance with amazing consistency. As the match continued, she increased her first-serve percentage from 53% in the first set to 59% in the second. She efficiently commanded play with a clever blend of powerful topspin forehands and adept court positioning, particularly in rallies lasting five strokes.

Despite experiencing physical problems, including a mid-match medical timeout due to obvious mobility issues, Yastremska showed tenacity in attempting to build a comeback during the second set. Nevertheless, Zheng soon seized control, capturing 12 of the subsequent 13 points to move ahead 5-3 before clinching her triumph.

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