Melbourne, Jan 22 (EFE).- Ukraine’s Dayana Yastremska continued her feat, after qualifying for the final draw of the Australian Open after overcoming the three qualifying matches, and beating the double champion in the round of 16 in Melbourne Park, the Belarusian Viktoria Azarenka (18), by a tight 7-6(6) and 6-4 (two hours and seven minutes).
“I think I played quite aggressively. At some points I was very nervous and my emotions were running high, but I told myself that it would be what it had to be, and I relaxed,” Rod Laver Arena commented on the court. after the conclusion of the crash.
Yasmtrenska became the first tennis player from the qualifying round to reach the quarterfinals in a slam since the British Emma Raducanu in 2021 at the United States Open, a tournament that she ended up winning.
She also established herself as the second player from the previous round to beat two Grand Slam champions, after local Jelena Dokic achieved it at Wimbledon (1999), after beating the Swiss Martina Hingis and the French Mary Pierce.
The Ukraine could not access the final draw just by one position in the ranking and had a demanding qualifying phase, after needing three sets in the three previous matches.
However, she took a weight off her shoulders by entering the final draw, as she was no longer a favorite, and burst strongly into the first round with an undeniable victory over the Czech Marketa Vondrousova (7), current champion at Wimbledon, by 6-1 and 6-2.
Her next obstacle will be the young Czech Linda Noskova, after her rival, the Ukrainian Elina Svitolina, suffered a back injury that forced her to retire in the early stages of the match, when the scoreboard showed 3-0 for the Czech.
It will be an unprecedented meeting between the Ukraine, 93rd ranked on the WTA list, and the Czech, 50th ranked, which will take place this Wednesday. EFE
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