Two-time defending champion Aryna Sabalenka is now just two wins away from a third straight US Open title. The Belarusian survived a tense quarterfinal thriller against Wimbledon champion Linda Noskova, rallying from 4-2 down in the deciding set before edging out the Czech 7-6(1) 3-6 7-6[7] to reach her sixth consecutive US Open semifinal.
Sabalenka made the stronger start, racing to a 4-1 lead and creating two chances to move even further ahead, but Noskova refused to let the set get away from her. The Czech clawed her way back and eventually leveled at 5-5, only for Sabalenka to take complete control in the ensuing tiebreak, winning the first six points and wrapping up the opener on her second set point.
Noskova absorbed the pressure at the beginning of the second set, saving two break points in the opening game and another in the fifth. Sabalenka could not capitalize on her opportunities, and the missed chances appeared to shift the momentum. The sixth seed finally broke through in the sixth game to take the only break of the set and eventually send the match into a decider.
The top seed suddenly found herself in serious trouble when Noskova surged 4-2 ahead in the third. But Sabalenka responded by winning three games in a row and forcing another tiebreak — this time played to 10 points. Noskova struck first, moving 2-0 ahead, but Sabalenka immediately answered with a mini-break and then unleashed her trademark aggression to seize control. After hitting a second-serve ace midway through the tiebreak, Sabalenka produced another one on her first match point at 9-7.
In an encounter packed with power, both players produced extraordinary numbers: Noskova fired 46 winners, including 18 aces, while Sabalenka answered with 42 winners and 12 aces of her own. The Czech also saved seven of nine break points.
The victory gives Sabalenka her first Top 10 win since defeating Coco Gauff in the Miami final in March and her sixth against a Top 10 opponent this season. More importantly, she has extended her Flushing Meadows winning streak to 19 matches and kept her bid to remain No. 1 in the PIF WTA Rankings firmly alive.
