China's Zheng Qinwen ended the fairytale run of Dayana Yastremska at the Australian Open 2024 on January 25 with a 6-4, 6-4 victory, securing her place in her first Grand Slam final where she will face defending champion Aryna Sabalenka.
The points were short and sharp throughout the battle, following a similar pattern in both sets. The two players exchanged breaks early on, with Zheng securing an additional break in the seventh game in both sets.
In the first set, Zheng maintained pressure on Yastremska, hitting cross-court winners from both wings. This left the 23-year-old Ukrainian in discomfort, clutching her abdomen in pain. After a medical timeout off the court, Yastremska returned with Zheng holding in the next game.
Although Yastremska extended the set by winning the following game with a clever drop shot, she committed errors in the next game, ultimately handing Zheng the first set.
The 12th seed began the second set on a strong note, holding her first service game to love and securing an early break after a series of errors from Yastremska. However, the Ukrainian quickly broke back.
In the seventh game, Zheng managed to break again, benefiting from a double fault by Yastremska and a shanked shot that went long. Yastremska courageously held in the next game, as Zheng missed an easy smash. However, the Chinese player sealed the match with an unreturnable serve.
In the other semifinal, defending champion Aryna Sabalenka avenged her US Open final loss to Coco Gauff and achieved the feat of being the first woman since Serena Williams to reach back-to-back finals at the Australian Open.
Sabalenka aggressively targeted Gauff's serve in a 7-6 (2), 6-4 semifinal victory. She is set to face either Qinwen in the championship decider on January 27. This marks the first Grand Slam semifinal for both Zheng and the 93rd-ranked Yastremska.
Sabalenka is currently on a 13-match winning streak at Melbourne Park, where she had her Grand Slam breakthrough last year. The last woman to reach consecutive finals at the Australian Open before Sabalenka was Serena Williams in 2015, '16, and '17.
Gauff entered the semifinals undefeated in 2024 after securing a title in Auckland, New Zealand.
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