DAYANA YASTREMSKA is two wins away from emulating Emma Raducanu after beating Linda Noskova to reach the Australian Open semi-finals.

Raducanu is the only qualifier ever to win a grand slam title but Yastremska increased her tally of wins in Melbourne to eight with a 6-3 6-4 victory on Rod Laver Arena.

The stories are not exactly comparable, given Yastremska was ranked 21 in the world as a 19-year-old before serving a six-month provisional suspension for a failed doping test, for which she was later deemed to bear no fault.

But it is nevertheless a very impressive run from the Ukrainian, now 23, who is set to soar back into the top 30 from her current ranking of 93.

She is the second qualifier in the open era to reach the last four here in the women’s singles after Australian Christine Dorey in 1978.

This was a contest of first-strike tennis, with both women looking to seize the initiative in rallies as early as possible.

But it was the extra power of Yastremska that made the difference. In the last four, she will take on 12th seed Zheng Qinwen, who will also contest her first slam semi-final.