Qinwen Zheng and Aryna Sabalenka are set to compete in the Australian Open final after Zheng secured her place by defeating Ukrainian qualifier Diana Yastremska 6-4, 6-4 in the second women's singles semi-final. This victory makes Zheng the second Chinese woman to reach a Grand Slam final. In the final, Zheng will face defending champion Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus. Sabalenka advanced to the final by defeating American Coco Goff in straight sets.
During the semi-final match, Yastremska initially took a 2-0 lead, but Zheng, seeded 12th, turned the tide by winning six of the next eight games to claim the first set. In the second set, Zheng broke Yastremska's serve, but Yastremska immediately countered to take a 3-2 lead. However, Zheng regrouped, broke her opponent's serve again, and ultimately closed out the match on her own serve after one hour and 42 minutes of play.
Notably, Zheng's path to the final did not involve facing any players from the top 50 in the world rankings. She showcased solidity in crucial moments, while Yastremska struggled, citing pain in her abdominal muscle. Zheng's victory secures her debut entry into the world's top 10, while Yastremska is expected to climb to the 29th spot in the rankings.
In the other semi-final, Sabalenka avenged her previous defeat by Goff in the US Open by defeating the American 7-6(2), 6-4. Sabalenka, the defending champion, dominated the first set tiebreak and secured an early break in the second set. Goff managed to save two break points but succumbed in the ninth game, allowing Sabalenka to break decisively and secure her place in the final. Sabalenka's solid serving and a higher percentage of first serve points won played a crucial role in her victory. She will now face Zheng in the highly anticipated Australian Open final. /BGNES
