Oleksandra Oliynykova saved 21 out of 23 break points en route to upsetting Wang Xinyu at the Transylvania Open to make her first WTA semifinal in just her second main draw. She'll face top seed Emma Raducanu, who defeated Maja Chwalinska in straight sets. Meanwhile, Daria Snigur joined Oliynykova in the semifinals -- making history for Ukraine. One statistic in particular stands out from Oleksandra Oliynykova's milestone 6-4, 6-4 win over No. To seal it, Oliynykova saved a remarkable 21 out of 23 break points against her. Her 91.3% rate of break points saved is the highest at tour level since full data began to be kept in 2021. Oliynykova only conceded her serve twice, in the opening game of each set. In the first, she staved off three points to go down a double break at 3-0, and then a further five to hold for 3-2. "I didn't know this statistic but you know, I'm coming from a country where there is war and you don't know what tomorrow is going to bring," Oliynykova said in her on-court interview. "So for me, it's so important during such hard times in my country, I learned to enjoy every moment of tennis. "The key -- not only today, but in general of the progress I've made -- it stopped, to me, to be more important whether I win or lose. Amidst the hard times for Ukraine, Oliynykova and compatriot Daria Snigur also helped write some tennis history for the country. Qualifier Snigur won a 4-6, 6-0, 7-5 thriller over Yuan Yue in Thursday's last quarterfinal, advancing to her first tour-level semifinal as a result. It's also the first time since Ukraine gained independence in 1991 that two Ukrainians have both reached the semifinals of a WTA tournament. On a more light-hearted note, Oliynykova's "celebration of the game" also extends to the temporary facial decorations that have become her signature aesthetic. In Melbourne, there were flowers; in Cluj-Napoca, a tournament which leans heavily into its Dracula-related branding, Oliynykova has chosen a row of small bats on her cheeks. "It's thematic," she said with a grin, before explaining that the tournament is a special one for her -- she had entered it for the first time last year, but didn't even make the qualifying cut-off. Oliynykova will have the opportunity to keep her dream run in just her second tour-level main draw going when she takes on No. The Briton came through a tricky quarterfinal against qualifier Maja Chwalinska 6-0, 6-4, showing controlled aggression to deal with the Pole's defense and finesse. This time last year, Oliynykova was yet to face a Top 100 opponent. Now, she'll face her second Grand Slam champion within three weeks, having fallen 7-6(6), 6-1 to Madison Keys in the Australian Open first round. Snigur will play the last home hope standing, No. 3 seed Sorana Cirstea, after the Romanian dethroned defending champion and No. Oleksandra Oliynykova saved 21 out of 23 break points en route to upsetting Wang Xinyu at the Transylvania Open to make her first WTA semifinal in just her second main draw. She'll face top seed Emma Raducanu, who defeated Maja Chwalinska in straight sets. Meanwhile, Daria Snigur joined Oliynykova in the semifinals -- making history for Ukraine.
Andre Agassi's fashion game was just as legendary as his backhand, and later this summer, the International Tennis Hall of Famer is reportedly getting a new sneaker in celebration of one of his most iconic 'fits.Read more: Andre Agassi revisits some of his most iconic tennis outfitsAn Agassi-inspired Air Jordan 7 ‘Tennis Day' sneaker will release during the US Open, which Agassi won twice, and will channel the American's vintage Air Tech Challenge 2 sneakers in a Phantom/Lemon Twist/Pink Blast/Anthracite color combination.While official details of the shoe are sparse for now, a new visual mock-up speculates that the new shoe will harken back to one of Agassi's most infamous on-court looks: the popping pink number he wore to reach his first Grand Slam final in Paris in 1990. Read more: Andre Agassi revisits some of his most iconic tennis outfitsAn Agassi-inspired Air Jordan 7 ‘Tennis Day' sneaker will release during the US Open, which Agassi won twice, and will channel the American's vintage Air Tech Challenge 2 sneakers in a Phantom/Lemon Twist/Pink Blast/Anthracite color combination.While official details of the shoe are sparse for now, a new visual mock-up speculates that the new shoe will harken back to one of Agassi's most infamous on-court looks: the popping pink number he wore to reach his first Grand Slam final in Paris in 1990. An Agassi-inspired Air Jordan 7 ‘Tennis Day' sneaker will release during the US Open, which Agassi won twice, and will channel the American's vintage Air Tech Challenge 2 sneakers in a Phantom/Lemon Twist/Pink Blast/Anthracite color combination.While official details of the shoe are sparse for now, a new visual mock-up speculates that the new shoe will harken back to one of Agassi's most infamous on-court looks: the popping pink number he wore to reach his first Grand Slam final in Paris in 1990. While official details of the shoe are sparse for now, a new visual mock-up speculates that the new shoe will harken back to one of Agassi's most infamous on-court looks: the popping pink number he wore to reach his first Grand Slam final in Paris in 1990. Last year, Agassi dubbed that infamous Roland Garros kit one of his favorites, recalling how it his black denim shorts, hot-pink tights, matching pink-print top and headband, and sneakers famously drew the ire of International Tennis Federation president Philippe Chatrier, also the head of the French tennis federation, at Roland Garros in 1990. "At the time, [he] was thinking about bringing in a dress code," Agassi recalled, "so I did what any noble person would do and I called him a bozo in the press conference. That was a little bit regrettable, but it was an honest reaction to someone telling me what I had to wear. In 2014, Nike's Zoom Vapor Tour AJ3 sneaker released as a mash-up of the Air Jordan 3 and Roger Federer's Zoom Vapor 9 model. "At the time, [he] was thinking about bringing in a dress code," Agassi recalled, "so I did what any noble person would do and I called him a bozo in the press conference. That was a little bit regrettable, but it was an honest reaction to someone telling me what I had to wear.