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Before the best tennis players had even finalised their preparations for the first grand slam tournament of the year, Dayana Yastremska was already fighting for her survival in the tournament. Through the three qualifying rounds of the Australian Open, the 23-year-old toiled through three tough three-set matches against lowly opponents. She was far from her best as she reached the main draw.
Sometimes in tennis, though, survival is all that matters. Having made it through those pressure-filled qualifying rounds, Yastremska has played with total freedom against far greater opposition. She continued her breakout run on Wednesday with another display of fearless attacking tennis, overpowering Linda Noskova 6-3, 6-4 to reach her first grand slam semi-final at the Australian Open.