Ukraine's Dayana Yastremska during her Australian Open quarter final win. Photo: Anthony Wallace/AFP
World number 93 Dayana Yastremeska has become the first qualifier to reach the final four at the Autralian Tennis Open in over 40 years.
Battling in 30 degree heat the Ukrainian beat Linda Noskova of the Czech republic in straight sets, 6-3 6-4 to advance to the semi finals - the first qualifier to do so since 1978.
Despite her lowly ranking Yastremeska's already beaten two Grand Slam champions during the tournament.
Yastremska and Noskova traded breaks early in the first set, but it was Yastremska who took the lead in the eighth game when Noskova netted a backhand.
Despite failing to get nearly half her first serves in, the Ukrainian kept the pressure on with a string of forehand winners throughout the match.
Noskova failed to capitalise on a break point when she was down 5-3 and Yastremska wrapped up the first set in 36 minutes with another well-targeted forehand.
Both players went off court after the first set, escaping the heat, and Noskova had a long chat with her coach on her return.
The players were level-pegging throughout the second set until the seventh game when Yastremska locked it up on her third break point with a backhand winner that left Noskova stranded on the far side of the court.
She closed out the match on serve when Noskova's backhand return hit the net, ending the Czech's bid for her first tour singles title.
Yastremska will play either 12th seed Zheng Qinwen of China or Russian world number 75 Anna Kalinskaya in the semi-finals.
-Reuters
