Dayana Yastremska punches Australian Open quarterfinal ticket in straight sets win over Victoria Azarenka

Dayana Yastremska clenches her fist during the fourth round of the Australian Open. 

Dayana Yastremska got the best of her game and her opponent to go into the quarterfinals of the Australian Open on Monday. Victoria Azarenka met her match against the 23-year-old, who hit big and moved well to upset the 19th seed 7-6(6), 6-4 on Rod Laver Arena.

The two met twice two years ago in matches that the 34-year-old won. The 2018 champ remains the only finalist left in the top half after defeating Jelena Ostapenko for the second time this month. She rallied against the Latvian from 2-5 down in the second to make the second week.

It was the third match that she avoided going three against her opponents. The Ukrainian made the second week of a slam for the second time in her career defeating Emma Navarro. Since fighting through qualifications, Yastremska went the distance in four of six matches. Gaining a top-10 win was a huge feat, but getting another victory against Azarenka would even the series and put her into the last eight.

The first game took five minutes for Yastremska to hold serve, preventing the 18th seed from clinching a break chance. The time came for Azarenka to serve and rushed through her service game, allowing Yastremska a point from it. The Ukrainian put together a string of tough balls for Azarenka to return, getting the win on an error into the net. Yastremska scored breakpoints in the fourth to move two games ahead of the 18th seed.

The 18th seed broke back in the fifth and went on a three-game winning streak, scoring the double break to regain the lead. The eighth was heavily competitive, trading off points and late mistakes from Yastremska made it 5-3 for the 34-year-old. The Ukrainian refused to go down on serve, putting together a convincing game.

A break to love incensed Azarenka, who struggled on serve and gave Yastremska a short run of points. The Ukrainian had seven before it was broken in the 11th, which went to deuce. Azarenka countered for the AD point and broke the qualifier for the third time. The 18th seed served for the set but her opponent responded well to the first serve, trading points along the way. They went to deuce six times until the 23-year-old forced the set to a tiebreak.

The two stayed tight after six points and remained so after ten. After 12 points, Yastremska gained a second set point on her 20th winner, scoring her 21st on a swing and a miss by Azarenka ending a 74-minute battle. Yastremska had three aces and dominated on the returns, winning 71 percent to Azarenka’s 42. Both combined for 41 unforced errors, with Yastremska recording 25.

In the second, Azarenka caught her opponent moving slower and coasted through her service. The 34-year-old battled off a game-point chance for Yastremska, forced deuce, and took the break on the second deuce. She consolidated a 3-0 run in the shape of a shutout, only to see her winning streak snap. Yastremska battled to hold serve, stopping Azarenka from a breakpoint, and took it on the first deuce.

She converted a break in the fifth, playing extra balls with Azarenka and extending the game deep. Yastremska tied a hold of serve in the sixth and captured a big double break to lead 4-3. The momentum remained with the 23-year-old, who consolidated on serve to sit up 5-3, playing for an upset. Azarenka didn’t give her a shot on serve, inching closer to tie up the set and produce a chance. Yastremska got into place, with two match points and fired one into the corner, which Azarenka missed to close out a thrilling victory that took two hours and seven minutes.