Sabalenka survives Noskova 7-6, 3-6, 7-6 and keeps the three-peat alive
Aryna Sabalenka def. Linda Noskova 7-6 (7-1), 3-6, 7-6 (10-7) on Ashe. She thought the title defence was over. Then she hit a second-serve ace.
| Player | 1 | 2 | 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aryna Sabalenka | 7 | 3 | 7 |
| Linda Noskova | 6 | 6 | 6 |
Sabalenka 7-6 (7-1), 3-6, 7-6 (10-7) Noskova
Why this one matters: a three-peat at Flushing Meadows does not survive a quiet afternoon. Sabalenka, chasing a third straight US Open, met Linda Noskova, the new Wimbledon champion, in the quarter-finals and had to go the distance for the first time this fortnight.
BBC logged the score as 7-6 (7-1), 3-6, 7-6 (10-7), a little under two and a half hours. Sabalenka led 5-2 in the first, got broken serving for the set, then ran the breaker 7-1. Noskova took the second 6-3 after a Sabalenka double fault at 30-40. In the third, Noskova held to love for 4-2. Sabalenka won the next three games, then trailed 2-0 in the deciding tie-break before closing it with a second-serve ace. It was her tenth successive tie-break win at this tournament, a run dating to 2021.
She called herself speechless. Nineteen consecutive wins here. First woman since Serena Williams in 2016 to reach six successive US Open semi-finals. Next is Jessica Pegula or Emma Navarro. Noskova hit more winners, made fewer unforced errors, and saved seven of nine break points. Her eleven-match Grand Slam singles streak ends in New York.
The stakes
A three-peat stays alive. Wimbledon's new champion goes home. The women's champion is still unwritten.
The rivalry angle
The favourite who thought she was done versus the grass-court shock who had the match at 4-2 in the third.
Players who could decide it
Two-time defending champion. Survived a first dropped set of the tournament.
Reigning Wimbledon champion. Hit more winners, still lost in three.
Did you know?
- !Sabalenka's 19th consecutive win at the US Open.
- !First woman since Serena Williams in 2016 to reach six successive US Open semi-finals.
- !Closed the match with a second-serve ace in a 10-7 third-set tie-break.
Sources
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