The second semifinal of the Australian Open encountered an unexpected pause. The 23-year-old Dayana Yastremska had to take medical time out during the first set of the match. So far, she has been toe-to-toe against Qinwen Zheng, who is aiming for her first grand slam final. Zheng, who is in perfect shape, will capitalize on any advantage she can.
Yastremska came into the semifinal without dropping any set. She has surprised the world as her performance is mind-boggling. But the stutter against Zheng could prove harmful to her stint.
Dayana Yastremska takes medical time out during semifinal clash
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The Ukrainian player has been fighting well in the Australian Open. She beat the Wimbledon champion and also beat Victoria Azarenka to land in the semifinal. Zheng has had a similar stint and, like the 23-year-old, is also aiming for her first slam finals. The two are not far apart as they are trading blows in the first set. However, Yastremska encountered a major problem.
Zheng breaks.
Yastremska feeling some pain.
Asks for the trainer. pic.twitter.com/4WnlVmzVJR
— José Morgado (@josemorgado) January 25, 2024
When the scoreboard read 4-3 in Zheng’s favor, the Ukrainian player had to take a medical timeout as she was unable to continue playing. The break came after Zheng broke her serve, and she called out her physiotherapist to help her. There is no confirmation about the injury she encountered, but the commentators speculate that it was an injury in the abdominal area.
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As the match continued, Zheng took her chance to close the first set 6-4. Zheng wants the win just as bad as Yastremska. She has faced difficulties on the tour, but aims to continue her winning streak. Her statistics in the tournament give her a shining chance in the Australian Open.
Zheng’s threatening dominance
Recently, a fan of Zheng posted an incredible critique of the tennis star’s performance in the Grand Slam competition thus far on their X (previously Twitter) profile. They went on to say, “My theory on how Qinwen is leading in aces is that her opponents are so surprised she made that first serve in they forget to return the ball.”
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Zheng Qinwen now has 44 aces in the women’s singles, nearly doubling Dayana Yastremska’s and Aryna Sabalenka’s 20. Following this, supporters believe Zheng is improving and will help to raise China’s profile in professional tennis. Now, she is aiming to destroy Yastremska and move to her maiden slam final. While that will be an amazing achievement, her eyes will still be on the big prize.
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