A Queen in Waiting? Qinwen ZHENG books semi-final clash with Dayana YASTREMSKA after ending Anna KALINSKAYA's run at Australian Open

Qinwen Zheng will face Dayana Yastremska in the semi-finals of the 2024 Australian Open after taking down surprise package, Anna Kalinskaya in three sets on Wednesday evening in Melbourne 6-7, 6-3, 6-1. Is 'Queenwen' a Grand Slam champion in waiting this week?

Zheng was heavily expected to get through this section after many big names fell including Victoria Azarenka and Elina Svitolina earlier this week who followed Iga Swiatek and Elena Rybakina out of this section. But with that also brings more pressure especially for someone like Qinwen Zheng who is set to be in the top 10 post Australian Open and has been a player firmly on the rise but also with the expectation of China on her shoulders. She looks ready to deliver though with Aryna Sabalenka or Coco Gauff potentially awaiting in a bumper final.

It was Kalinskaya though that started the brighter of the two in what was a scatty opening set as both players broke twice. But it was the unseeded Russian who looked unfazed by the task at hand and not in her maiden Grand Slam quarter-final. She had just 12 unforced errors compared to 18 off the racquet of Qinwen Zheng and landed 82 per cent of her first serves compared to 49 from the former. It concluded in a narrow tie-break with Kalinskaya taking it 7-4 for the early impetus.

But the 12th seed started to grow into the clash and Kalinskaya dumped a forehand into the net to give Qinwen the only break of the set and the chance to serve for it at 5-4. She made no mistake and despite struggling for her first serve most of the match, she was clinical when it mattered most to take the tie into a decider. She also cut down on unforced errors as Kalinskaya began to struggle to compete.

That moulded over as Qinwen Zheng warmed further into the clash and started to make the Russian struggle with her power. She got broken to love in part to two unforced errors off her backhand side which had previously been so reliable. Zheng held serve to make it 3-1 with 12 straight points. But after Kalinskaya finally stopped the rot, Qinwen wasn't to be denied as she went 4-1 up. A medical timeout was then called for Kalinskaya, but she powered through albeit without winning another game as Zheng sewed it up. Business done for the Chinese ace.