Qinwen Zheng books maiden grand slam semifinal appearance after stunning comeback over Anna Kalinskaya
Qinwen Zheng, China's top ranked woman has booked her spot in her maiden grand slam semifinal.
And in doing so, she will move into the top-10 in the world rankings for the first time in her career once they're recalculated next Monday.
Zheng rallied from a set down to dominate the next two to record a 6-7 (4), 6-3, 6-1 win over Anna Kalinskaya in their Australian Open quaterfinal clash.
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The first set contained four service breaks and went to a tiebreaker before Kalinskaya took six of the last seven points to edge in front.
Qinwen Zheng of China celebrates winning match point during their quarterfinals singles match against Anna Kalinskaya during the 2024 Australian Open at Melbourne Park on January 24, 2024 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images) Getty
At 3-3 in the second set, Zheng begun a rampage that would see her win 10 of the next 11 games to surge into the semis.
After Kalinskaya held serve to open the third, Zheng – a US Open quarterfinalist last year – seized control and won the next 12 straight points.
She led 4-1 when Kalinskaya needed a medical timeout for treatment on her upper right leg, and returned to finish off the match quickly after the break.
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"The match was really tough for me," she told Jelena Dokic in her courtside interview.
"I just told myself, 'stay focused, don't think any more about the first set' – I'm so happy right now."
"I'm really happy to be in the semifinals, especially with such a good performance."
Zheng said she had no idea the win would put her in the top-10.
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"Thanks for letting me know that …nobody told me anything!" she told Dokic.
"It's good news … I said last year when I was in the Australian Open, I wanted to be top-10 and one year later, I'm here.
"This is an amazing moment."
She will play Ukrainian qualifier Dayana Yastremska for a spot in the final on Rod Laver Arena on Friday night.
