Aryna Sabalenka survives Linda Noskova thriller and keeps hopes alive of winning third consecutive US Open title | tennis news

Aryna Sabalenka kept her hopes of winning a third consecutive US Open title alive after beating Linda Noskova 7-6 (1), 3-6, 7-6 (10-7) in a thrilling quarterfinal on Tuesday.Sabalenka appeared close to losing her title defense and her hopes of remaining ranked No. 1 in the world. But she fought back when it mattered most and reached the US Open semifinals for the sixth consecutive year.“What a battle. What an incredible player she is and I’m speechless right now because I was pushing myself to the limit in this match, especially in the third set,” Sabalenka said. “I honestly thought that was it, the game was over and that’s probably what helped me feel relaxed and just go after my shots.”Sabalenka will face either Jessica Pegula, No. 3, or Emma Navarro, No. 26, in Thursday’s semifinals.She finished the match with an ace on the second serve to beat Wimbledon champion Noskova and advance to the semi-finals.

Sabalenka defends herself in the third set

Sabalenka was in danger of suffering her first US Open exit since 2020 when Noskova broke serve in the third set and took a 4-2 lead.But Sabalenka held serve and then played one of her best games of the match. She broke Noskova at love to level the set at 4-4.“I felt like at some point in the third set she was definitely serving better than me and putting a lot of pressure on me,” Sabalenka said. “But I’m glad I pushed that thought away and was able to focus point by point and literally try to build something bigger in that moment.“I wasn’t lucky, but I’m happy with the way I broke his serve at 3-4. I think I really played tennis with a great level of intensity, and that really gave me so much confidence that I can still win this match.”Sabalenka ultimately won the match tiebreaker 10-7. She lost 2-0, but took the lead for good when Noskova double-faulted to make it 4-3. Sabalenka then won the next two points to gain a reprieve.She avoided her first defeat at the US Open since Coco Gauff beat her in the 2023 final.

Noskova puts up a strong fight

Noskova, seeded No. 6, had won her first major title at Wimbledon and came close to reaching the semifinals of the US Open.She finished with 46 winners and 18 aces, compared to Sabalenka’s 42 winners and 12 aces.Both players looked to finish points quickly, while Sabalenka also showed good speed when chasing drop shots.“Having a break in the third set is not very easy. Also, having a little break at the beginning of the tiebreaker in the third set is frustrating, obviously,” Noskova said.“But at the same time, Aryna played the best tennis she could in those moments, which really didn’t make it easy for me.”Noskova ended her best streak at the US Open. Before this tournament, he had only reached the Grand Slam quarterfinals, at the 2024 Australian Open.

The number 1 ranking is also at stake

Sabalenka arrived at the US Open after losing in the fourth round in Toronto and Cincinnati. He also left Wimbledon at the same stage.However, he found his form in New York and did not lose a set before reaching the quarterfinals.Sabalenka needed to win this match to keep her hopes of remaining number one alive. She will lose the top spot in the rankings, which she has held for 99 consecutive weeks, if No. 2 Elena Rybakina beats Zheng Qinwen on Wednesday to reach the semifinals.If Rybakina loses, Sabalenka can maintain the No. 1 ranking if she wins the US Open title.