MELBOURNE, Jan. 28 (Xinhua) -- World No. 1 Ash Barty will play Sofia Kenin from the United States for a place in the final of the Australian Open after the two women progressed from the quarterfinals on Tuesday.
Barty beat Czech player Petra Kvitova, 7-6 (6), 6-2, while Kenin brought to an end to Tunisian Ons Jabeur's historic run, 6-4, 6-4.
Jabeur is the first woman from an Arabic nation to reach the quarterfinals of a singles major tournament, beating former Australian Open winner Caroline Wozniacki and China's Wang Qiang to get there.
The 25-year-old thanked her country for all the support she received throughout the tournament, which included a call from the President.
"He called me. He wished me good luck. That was really nice of him," Jabeur said.
With renewed confidence, Jabeur said that she will continue to pursue her dream of one day winning a Grand Slam.
"I was also looking to myself to win a Grand Slam even before -- but now I think I'm more close. I think I can believe more in my dream," she said.
Meanwhile, Barty's chances of winning a Grand Slam on home soil radically improved, following a powerful performance against Kvitova.
The two-time Wimbledon champion ended Barty's run to the finals in Melbourne last year, but this time Barty flipped the script, becoming the first local woman to earn a place in the Australian Open semifinals in 36 years.
"I knew I had to bring my absolute best today against Petra," Barty said in a post-match interview.
"In my eyes, she's the perfect competitor, regardless of whether she wins or loses she's always got a big grin on her face. I absolutely love testing myself against her."
