46-year fairytale extinguished in ‘unbelievable’ scenes as AO women’s final decided

The Australian Open women’s singles final has locked in a clash that, regardless of the result, will have been a decade in the making.

The winner of the 2024 Australian Open will have been a decade in the making. Photo: Getty Images

The Australian Open women’s final is locked in with world No. 2 Aryna Sabalenka to play 12th seed Qinwen Zheng in the decider.

Zheng made relatively short work of Yastremska in a 6-4 6-4 victory.

Stream Over 50 Sports Live & On-Demand with Kayo. New to Kayo? Start Your Free Trial Today >

Yastremska was looking to make history after becoming the first qualifier to make the semi-finals of the Australian Open since 1978 when Christine Dorey (nee Matison) reached the final four.

It’s a rare occurrence as only five qualifiers had made it to the same stage in grand slams in the Open Era and only Emma Raducanu at the 2021 US Open had gone on to made the final and won the tournament.

But it wasn’t to be for the Ukrainian former world No. 21, whose consolation will be a rise from world No. 93 to around No. 29.

Zheng was simply too good.

Zheng has a shot at history. Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images

Yastremska will move up over 60 rankings places. Pic: Michael Klein

While Yastremska had more winners, Zheng had them when they mattered most, claiming four breaks to complete the victory in one hour and 42 minutes.

“It feels unbelievable,” Zheng said. “I’m super excited to have such a great performance today and I’m in the final.

“Dayana, she was playing really good tennis and got really good baseline stroke.

“It’s tough to explain my feeling now, the real first time here in Australia.”

And she was ruthless to storm to victory.

Qinwen Zheng has now won 12 of the last 13 points against Yastremska; 6-4, 5-3. The only point Yastremska won was a lucky net court..

Zheng very close to the final!#AusOpen

— Toptennistweets (@Toptennis_tweet) January 25, 2024

I just tuned into Yamstrenska v Zheng and oh Li Na your legacy is finally bearing fruit mama!! I think we may finally have a Chinese superstar thank god! Xi finally doing tennis diplomacy!

And Riba! I miss him in our box but he’s taking another player to the final!

— Rorisang. (@RoriMoseli) January 25, 2024

Zheng had played at the Australian Open the past two years, both times knocked out in the second round.

After entering the top 10 with her quarterfinal win, Zheng will now move up to at least seventh in the world.

She becomes the second ever Chinese tennis player to make a grand slam final and, if she wins, it’ll be on the 10 year anniversary of Li Na’s 2014 Australian Open triumph.

The WTA’s most improved player in 2023, Zheng had never before been past the quarterfinals in a grand slam but the 21-year-old will face off with Aryna Sabalenka in the final.

Sabalenka, the defending Australian Open champion, booked her place after downing US Open champion Coco Gauff in straight sets.

Sabalenka can make history herself. Photo by Anthony WALLACE / AFP

Sabalenka, who is looking to become the first player to go back-to-back at the AO since Victoria Azarenka in 2012 and 2013, showed off her career-best form again in the first match of the night, beating Gauff 7-6 6-4.

The Belarusian is the favourite to win again this year after blasting straight sets victories all the way to the final.

10.55pm – Qinwen takes the first

12th seed Qinwen Zheng is a set away from her first grand slam final after taking the first set against Ukraine’s Dayana Yastremska 6-4.

The Chinese star has already wrapped up a place in the top 10 women in the world at the end of the tournament, but could also claim China’s first grand slam title in 10 years, since Li Na won the 2014 Australian Open.

For Yastremska, she’s already made history as the first qualifier since 1978 to make an Aussie Open semi-final. But a comeback could mean she becomes the first qualifier in history to make an Australian Open final.

10.31pm – Yastremska injured

Dayana Yastremska is the first qualifier in the semi-finals of the Australian Open since 1978 but it’s not going too well.

After breaking in the second game, Yastremska immediately gave it up in the third game.

But Qinwen Zheng has broken again and takes a 4-3 lead in the first set.

And worse for the Ukrainian, she’s left the court with what looked like a hip flexor injury.

9.25pm – Sabalenka serves out the match

Aryna Sabalenka secured a crucial break point for an opportunity to serve out the match after one hour and 45 minutes of brutal tennis with Coco Gauff.

Both players committed their share of unforced errors, and both looked like taking the match by the neck and running away to the final.

But in the end, it was the defending champion who reigned supreme in the first women’s semi this evening.

She hit a double fault to kick off the final game at 5-4, but held her composure as Gauff hit some incredible winners.

One forehand down the line left Sabalenka without answers, and brought the game to deuce.

Sabalenka served a searing ace to snare the advantage, and it was curtains from there as Gauff hit the next return into the net.

After the quarterfinal earlier this week, Jelena Dokic asked to have one of her towels, joking she wasn’t breaking a sweat this tournament and could spare one.

The former tennis star produced live on air this morning during Channel 9’s broadcast and said she felt bad for putting the 25-year-old on the spot and thought she’d give it back.

But then she revealed a far better plan.

“I’m going to get it signed and auction it off for women and kids affected by domestic violence,” she said.

Sabalenka agreed to sign the towel this evening, earning a massive cheer from the crowd as she exited the arena.

Sabalenka agreed to sign the towel this evening, earning a massive cheer from the crowd as she exited the arena.

9.10pm – Stars neck and neck in tight second set

Coco Gauff has stood strong under the might of defending champion Aryna Sabalenka, who is a handful of games away from making the final.

The pair have played more consistent tennis this set and held their serves until Gauff began to dominate Sabalenka’s service game at 4-3 in the US star’s favour.

From there, the Belarusian committed a crucial unforced error to bring the score to 30-0. The breakthrough was imminent, but Sabalenka showed her class at and hit four consecutive winners to bring the score back to 4-4.

She finally secured a break point opportunity in the next set, but a brilliant backhand winner from Gauff brought it back to deuce.

But then Gauff shanked a backhand return wide and gifted the break to Sabalenka.

It’s tense out there.

8.35pm – Tie-break

We’ve got a tie-break.

It’s been a thrilling first set of tennis, with both players showing signs of running away with a lead before being snapped back to reality. Both have hit unforced errors at critical moments, but Sabalenka will be particularly kicking herself after giving up a 5-2 lead.

The Belarusian finally broke free and took the first four points of the tie-break.

Gauff couldn’t capitalise on her serve as the 25-year-old smashed powerful forehand winners to snag five set points before sealing the deal at 7-2.

7.35pm – Gauff and Sabalenka in tense first set

Coco Gauff and Aryna Sabalenka are about to begin their semi-final clash. Sabalenka, the 2023 champion, is the favourite after showing off a hot run of form, conceding just 16 games this tournament.

She began the match in style, serving a thundering ace to snag the first point before hitting a powerful forehand passing shot to send a warning shot to Gauff.

The US star ran into some trouble in her first service game, gifting Sabalenka three break points before hitting one to the net to bring the match to 2-0.

But then the set took an abrupt turn, with Gauff punching back to secure a break of her own, the second in the first ten minutes of the match.

Sabalenka snagged another break and brought it to 5-2. But Gauff pulled off one of her better service games and brought it back to 5-3.

Sabalenka had a prime opportunity to serve out the set, but she wasn’t making it easy on herself, serving up a double fault at 30-30 and gifting Gauff a break point. The 25-year-old hit the next rally into the net and gave up the game.

And it got even worse for the Belarusian as the set evened out at 5-5.

She started making more errors, hitting balls wide at crucial moments before eventually gifting Gauff another break to serve for the set at 6-5.

The first two games suggested the first semi final would be over in a heartbeat. But that all changed when teen star Coco Gauff made a brutal statement to the defending champ.

6pm – Aussie bows out of Open in doubles semi

Aussie Storm Hunter and her doubles partner KateÅ™ina Siniaková have been sent tumbling out of the semi final in a tense clash against Hsieh Su-wei and Elise Mertens.

Hunter and her teammate did well to blast back in the second set 6-1 but were overwhelmed by their opponents, who took the final set 6-3.

The final score was 7-5 1-6 6-3.

3.30pm – Ebden and Bopanna through to doubles final

Aussie Matthew Ebden and doubles partner Rohan Bopanna have triumphed over Zhang Zhizhen and Tomas Machac in the semi final. Ebden and Bopanna took the first set 6-3 but faltered in the second, offering up a break that saw Zhizhen and Machac surge back with a 6-3 set to set up a decider.

But Ebden and his 43-year-old partner did well to come back and force a tie-break, which they won 10-7 to advance to the final round.

They will play the winner of today’s clash between Simone Bolelli/Andrea Vavassori and Yannick Hanfmann/Dominik Koepfer on Rod Laver Arena.

3pm – Dokic auctioning Sabalenka’s towel off for charity

Aryna Sabalenka was hit an odd request from Jelena Dokic in her post match interview after advancing to the semi-finals.

Dokic joked that the women’s star had barely broken a sweat all tournament, and asked if she could have one of her unused towels, getting a big laugh from the arena.

Sabalenka obliged and gave her a towel, which Dokic produced live on air this morning during Channel 9’s broadcast.

She said she felt bad for putting the 25-year-old on the spot and thought she’d give it back.

But then she revealed a far better plan.

“I’m going to get it signed and auction it off for women and kids affected by domestic violence,” she said.

I love Jelena Dokic what a lovely human https://t.co/UibPQiO88Vpic.twitter.com/1A5I9jb1OT

— Jonah (@jonahtennis) January 24, 2024