12:31
D. Yastremska – Q. Zheng 3:4
The Ukrainian appears to have had the injury once at the start of qualifying and is continuing to receive treatment. Zheng uses the time and practices her first serve.
12:29
D. Yastremska – Q. Zheng 3:4
Shortly before the break, the Ukrainian grabbed her right hip muscle. Yastremska orders the physiotherapist and takes a medical timeout.
12:28
D. Yastremska – Q. Zheng 3:4
The 21-year-old was then able to use this and now benefits from the 23-year-old’s forehand longline that was too long. As a result, the Chinese now takes the lead 4:3 in the first set. Can she now confirm the break?
12:27
D. Yastremska – Q. Zheng 3:3
After a backhand longline from the Ukrainian that was too long, the Chinese now worked on her fourth break point.
12:26
D. Yastremska – Q. Zheng 3:3
Yastremska was also able to fend off the second breakball after a forehand return from Zheng that was too long. On the third breakball, the Ukrainian has to go over the second serve. She brings him into the field at 145 km/h and benefits again from a backhand error by the Chinese to make it 40:40!
12:25
D. Yastremska – Q. Zheng 3:3
However, the Chinese misses her first breakball after a forehand cross into the net that is too deep.
12:23
D. Yastremska – Q. Zheng 3:3
Zheng now increases the pressure and only makes it 15-0 with a forehand cross from the net. She then hammered a backhand winner into the field and scored her fifth point in a row. With a forehand cross into the Ukrainian net, the Chinese now has three break points.
12:22
D. Yastremska – Q. Zheng 3:3
The world number 15 now uses her first match ball and hits her first serve strongly into the field. Yastremska can only return the return into the net. This makes it 3:3 in the first set and everything is still in line.
12:21
D. Yastremska – Q. Zheng 3:2
With a great backhand longline from Zheng at 151 km/h, the Chinese woman reduced the lead to 15:30. The following two points also go to the quarter-finalist of the US Open 2023. The 21-year-old gets a game ball with a forehand volley from the net.
12:18
D. Yastremska – Q. Zheng 3:2
After the break, the Chinese are now challenged again. The Ukrainian now gets her first point after a forehand from Zheng that is too long. The Ukrainian also secured her second point in a row. As in the quarterfinals against Kalinskaya, the world number 15 had too many unforced errors with her forehand at the beginning.
12:17
D. Yastremska – Q. Zheng 3:2
The 2020 Adelaide finalist leaves the first game ball lying there, but then the first serve is on the qualifier’s second game ball and she again benefits from a cross forehand that is too long from the Chinese to make it 3-2 in the first set.
12:15
D. Yastremska – Q. Zheng 2:2
The 23-year-old now comes into her third service game with an ace and makes it 30-0 after a forehand return that is too long. The first long rally then develops. Both keep bringing the ball to the baseline, Zheng now wants to surprise Yastremska with a backhand longline, but the ball ends up just out of bounds. Three game balls for the world number 93.
12:14
D. Yastremska – Q. Zheng 2:2
So everything is back in order again. With a backhand cross into the left corner, the world number 15 gets the point and equalizes the score at 2-2 in the first set.
12:12
D. Yastremska – Q. Zheng 2:1
Yastremska now goes straight back to the Chinese woman’s return and wants to bring the ball into the field with her backhand longline, but the yellow felt ball flies just behind the baseline. Zheng also gets the next two points with her first serve and has three game balls.
12:11
D. Yastremska – Q. Zheng 2:1
Oh man, the Ukrainian is excited. With her fourth double fault in this service game, she gives the Chinese the break and Zheng shortens the first set to 1:2. Can she now confirm the break in her service game?
12:10
D. Yastremska – Q. Zheng 2:0
But the 23-year-old cannot yet use the first match ball. She produces her third double in this service game and puts both on 40 again. Then the backhand longline lands in the net and Zheng has her fourth break point.
12:09
D. Yastremska – Q. Zheng 2:0
Strong comeback! With a service winner close to the halfway line, the Ukrainian gets the next three points after 0:40 and equalizes the score at 40:40. Then the next serve is right and she has a game ball.
12:07
D. Yastremska – Q. Zheng 2:0
And now she hits her first serve into the net. The second serve at 139 km/h then lands in the field and Zheng can only return the ball behind the baseline with his backhand longline. Yastremska shortens the score to 30:40 with an ace!
12:06
D. Yastremska – Q. Zheng 2:0
Now the qualifier is making her first small mistakes and with a double fault she comes into her second service game. Then the Asian woman makes it 30-0 with a strong return. With her second double fault, Zheng now has three break opportunities.
12:04
D. Yastremska – Q. Zheng 2:0
The Ukrainian then uses her fifth break point and puts the Chinese under pressure with a strong deficit. The 21-year-old can only hit the yellow felt ball into the net. The world number 93 is leading 2-0 in the first set.
12:04
D. Yastremska – Q. Zheng 1:0
Strong! The Ukrainian doesn’t give up and takes the advantage again with a backhand, played along the line and against the Chinese woman’s direction.
12:02
D. Yastremska – Q. Zheng 1:0
Once again the 2020 Adelaide finalist has the advantage as Zheng produces her first double fault. Then the first serve comes and Yastremska can only hit the backhand volley into the net. 40:40 again!
12:02
D. Yastremska – Q. Zheng 1:0
But Yastremska puts pressure on him and then immediately goes for the return with a lot of power and gains the advantage. The Chinese can then put both of them on 40 again with the serve.
12:00
D. Yastremska – Q. Zheng 1:0
The Chinese can still fend off the first break point with her first serve and Yastremska can only place the return behind the baseline. The tennis player, who grew up in Wuhan, then brings her second service into the field with power and the 23-year-old can only hit the return into the net again – debut!
11:59
D. Yastremska – Q. Zheng 1:0
And once again the quarter-finalist of the US Open 2023 has to rely on the second serve. She brings him into the field, but with a strong backhand cross the Ukrainian takes the score to 30:15. The subsequent rally also goes to the 23-year-old. With a backhand longline to the touchline, the world number 93 gets two break points.
11:58
D. Yastremska – Q. Zheng 1:0
The Chinese now has to go over the second serve and only brings it into the field at 136km/h. The Ukrainian returns strongly and takes the point to 15-0 with a forehand winner from the net. After that, the 21-year-old got the first serve and she equalized both at 15.
11:57
D. Yastremska – Q. Zheng 1:0
She then uses the third ball. She hits an ace wide to the outside and gets her serve and leads 1-0 in the first set.
11:56
D. Yastremska – Q. Zheng 0:0
The Ukrainian also leaves the second ball behind. Again she has to go over the second service and Zheng returns with a lot of power and Yastremska hits the forehand into the net – 30:40!
11:55
D. Yastremska – Q. Zheng 0:0
For the first time, the 23-year-old has to go over the second serve and it only has 155km/h and Zheng returns strongly. The subsequent backhand longline from the world number 93 lands just out of touch.
11:53
D. Yastremska – Q. Zheng 0:0
The Ukrainian opened the match and immediately made it 15-0 after a forehand return from the Chinese that was too long. Even after that, she delivers her first serve cleanly and quickly leads 40-0 with three game balls.
11:50
Yastremska starts the match with her service game
The match will take place under a closed roof today due to the forecast rain and only 17 degrees. Yastremska opens the match with her serve.
11:47
The players are here – it’s about to start!
Dayana Yastremska and Qinwen Zheng step onto the hard court in the Rod Laver Arena and warm up. It starts in just a few minutes!
11:46
First meeting in Melbourne
The two tennis players have never met on the WTA tour. Reaching the semi-finals of a Grand Slam tournament is something new for both athletes. Which tennis player can handle this better? By the way, Yastremska only met players from the top 50 during the tournament. Zheng has only played against unseeded players so far.
11:40
Zheng is in the semi-finals of the Australian Open for the first time
For Qinwen Zheng, reaching the semi-finals in Melbourne is also the biggest highlight of her career so far. The Chinese was already in the quarterfinals at the US Open 2023, but clearly lost to Sabalanka in two sets. The world number 15 now has an easier program in Melbourne. The 21-year-old defeated the American Krueger in three sets in the first round. Zheng then won against the British Boulter. In the third round, the number 12 seed defeated her compatriot Wang in three sets. In the round of 16, the 1.78m tall tennis player won 6:0 and 6:3 against the Frenchwoman Dodin. But yesterday she had to go for three sets. After the Chinese lost the first set in the tiebreak (4:7), the 21-year-old got better and better into the game and forced the final set after 6:3. There she gave the Russian Kalinskaya no chance and broke her three times and ultimately won 6:7, 6:3 and 6:1.
11:37
For the first time in 46 years, a qualifier is in the semi-finals in Melbourne
Dayana Yastremska plays her ninth match at the Australian Open today. The Ukrainian first prevailed in three rounds of qualification and then clearly threw the 2023 Wimbledon winner Vondroušová out of the tournament in two sets 6:1 and 6:2. The qualifier then won in the second round against the world number 39, the Frenchwoman Grecheva, 6:3 and 6:2. In the third round, the 23-year-old had to go through three sets for the first and last time and won 6:2, 2:6 and 6:1 against the American Navarro. In the round of 16, the world number 93 won against Belarusian Azarenka 7:6 (8:6) and 6:4. Most recently, Yastremska prevailed in the quarterfinals against the Czech Nosková, who had already knocked world number one Iga Świątek out of the tournament during the tournament. The Ukrainian won against the Czech 6:3 and 6:4 and is in the semi-finals of a Grand Slam tournament for the first time in her career.
11:30
Sabalenka is in the final – it’s about to start!
Aryna Sabalenka defeated the American Coco Gauff 7:6 and 6:4 in the first semi-final and, after winning the title last year, is also in the final this year. This means the second semi-final can start in just a few minutes.
11:16
Start is postponed further
The first women’s semi-final between Coco Gauff and Aryna Sabalenka is still in the second set and therefore the second semi-final will not start before 11.45 a.m.
10:15
Good morning
Welcome to the twelfth day of the Australian Open 2024. The semi-finals in the women’s singles are taking place in Melbourne this Thursday. At around 10.45 a.m. the qualifier Dayana Yastremska was supposed to meet the Chinese Qinwen Zheng in the second semi-final, but the first semi-final is currently still underway. It will probably take some time before the second semi-final can begin in the Rod Laver Arena. The match is currently expected to start around 11:15 a.m.