PATRIOT GAMES

Ukrainian Dayana on 'mission' to honour those fighting for her homeland

- NEIL McLEMAN

DAYANA YASTREMSKA is on a mission for her embattled homeland after storming within two wins of emulating Emma Raducanu.

The Ukrainian became only the second qualifier to reach the last four of the Australian Open in the Open era by beating Czech teenager Linda Noskova 6-3 6-4,.

Yastremska, who wore a blue and yellow dress, then wrote on a courtside TV camera: "I'm proud of our fighting people from Ukraine.

Fellow Ukrainians Elina Svitolina and Marta Kostyuk also used their runs into the second week here to draw media attention back to their war-ravaged country nearly two years after the Russian invasion.

World No.93 Yastremska, who now takes on Chinese 12th seed Zheng Qinwen in the semi-finals, said: "The message was about the Ukrainian fighters. They really deserve huge respect. I always try to write something for Ukraine, about Ukraine.