Zheng Qinwen (WTA 15/N.12) qualified for the semi-finals of the Australian Open, the first Grand Slam tournament of the season, on Wednesday in Melbourne. The Chinese played in the third set to dismiss the Russian Anna Kalinskaya (WTA 75), 6-7 (4/7), 6-3, 6-1 after 2 hours and 20 minutes of match.
Kalinskaya managed to take control by winning the tie-break of the first set. Zheng rallied in the second set, and she converted the only break point of the set to tie the match at one set. The last set was just a formality and the Chinese won six games in a row to conclude.
In the next round, Zheng Qinwen will meet Ukrainian Dayana Yastremska, who reached the semi-finals through qualifying. The 93rd in the world got rid of the Czech Linda Noskova (WTA 50), who defeated world No.1 Iga Swiatek in the 3rd round. The game ended with a score of 6-3, 6-4 in 1 hour and 18 minutes.
Both Zheng and Yastremska will play their first Grand Slam semi-final. The Chinese has only reached the quarters once before the Australian fortnight, at the US Open 2023, while Yastremska had never gone beyond the 4th round, the 8th finals, which she played at Wimbledon in 2019.
The other semi-final will see the American Coco Gauff (WTA 4/N.4), winner of the last US Open, and the Belarusian Aryna Sabalenka (WTA 2/N.2), reigning champion of the Australian Open.