Zheng VS. Sabalenka: the grand final of the Australian Open

The Chinese tennis player Zheng Qinwennumber 15 in the WTA ranking, will face the Belarusian Aryna Sabalenka in the final of the Australian Open, after her victory on Thursday in the semifinals against the Ukrainian Dayana Yastremska (N.93) 6-4, 6-4 in Melbourne.

Zheng Qinwen, who will play in her first Grand Slam final, stopped the dreams of Yastremska, who had reached the semifinals after going through the previous qualifying phase of the tournament.

In the final Qinwen will face Sabalenka, world number 2 and current champion, who, for her part, beat the American Coco Gauff in the other semifinal played hours before.

Ten years after the triumph in Melbourne of her compatriot Li Na, also the winner of Roland Garros in 2011, the 21-year-old Chinese is one victory away from a first Grand Slam title.

This Thursday put an end to the epic of Dayana Yastremska, who had won eight consecutive matches in Melbourne – qualifying phase included – to reach the semi-finals. The Ukrainian stood up to the twelfth seed in the tournament but failed to convert her chances in the decisive moments (one of four successful break points).

The Chinese made the difference in the second set, confirming the break achieved at 3-3, to fly to victory in 1 hour and 42 minutes. “It's incredible, it's difficult to explain what I feel,” she declared on the court at the end of the match. The Chinese, who was already assured of joining the top 10 of the WTA after her victory in the quarterfinals against the Russian Anna Kalinskaya, continues her progression after a 2023 marked by a quarterfinal at the US Open in September. She failed to qualify for the semi-finals back then, swept in two sets by… Aryna Sabalenka. AND

On Saturday they will meet again at the Rod Laver Arena.

AFP

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