Maya Joint moved through to the last eight in Hobart. (AAP: Jono Searle, File)
In short:
Maya Joint defeated Magda Linette 6-1, 6-1 in the second round.
It is the first time Joint has reached the quarterfinals of a top-level event.
What’s next?
Joint will face 2020 Australian Open champion Sofia Kenin in the quarterfinals.
Rising Australian teenager Maya Joint has reached her first top-level quarterfinal after thrashing world number 38 Magda Linette at the Hobart International.
The 18-year-old defeated 2023 Australian Open semifinalist Linette 6-1, 6-1 in the second round on Wednesday.
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The win followed Joint’s straight-sets victory over world number 53 Olga Danilović in the opening round.
Joint, who is ranked 118 in the world after being 773rd at the end of 2023, had too much power for fourth seed Linette.
She is set to play her first Australian Open as a wildcard and is the second-highest ranked teenager in the world behind Russian 17-year-old and number 15 Mirra Andreeva.
Joint is coming off a second-round showing at the Brisbane International last week where she took a set off two-time Australian Open champion Victoria Azarenka.
Joint said the win over Linette — who is 14 years her senior — was the best of her career.
“I feel really good. I’ve played two really great matches (in Hobart) so far and I want to keep going,” she said.
“I like being the underdog and have been trying to keep the pressure off myself.
“I really like that the season starts in Australia. The home crowd support is really special.”
US-born Joint switched allies in 2023 to Australia.
She recorded her first WTA tour win at the 2024 US Open, where she progressed through qualifying and beat veteran Laura Siegemund in the first round.
Joint — the last Australian in the main draw — will meet 2020 Australian Open champion Sofia Kenin on Thursday for a place in the semifinals.
Kenin got past Anna Blinkova 6-2, 3-6, 6-2 in the round of 16.
AAP