Aryna Sabalenka survived her toughest test of the U.S. Open on Tuesday, rallying past sixth-seeded Linda Noskova 7-6(1), 3-6, 7-6(7) to reach the semifinals for the sixth consecutive year and keep her bid for a third straight championship alive.
The top-seeded Sabalenka had not dropped a set in the tournament before Noskova, the reigning Wimbledon champion, pushed her into a deciding-set tiebreak. Noskova repeatedly pressured the defending champion with her powerful serve and finished with 18 aces, while Sabalenka had to recover after falling behind in the third set. Sabalenka ultimately regained control and closed out the match with a second-serve ace in the final tiebreak.
The victory extended Sabalenka’s U.S. Open winning streak to 18 matches and marked her 21st victory in her last 22 matches at Flushing Meadows. It also continued her remarkable success in Grand Slam tiebreaks, an area that again proved decisive when the match reached its final points.
Sabalenka will face either third-seeded Jessica Pegula or 26th-seeded Emma Navarro in the semifinals. A third consecutive U.S. Open championship would add to the Belarusian’s growing legacy at the tournament and make her the first woman since Serena Williams to win three straight titles in New York.
Noskova, 21, leaves the tournament after producing one of the strongest challenges Sabalenka has faced this year. The Czech saved seven of nine break points and twice forced the match back into her favor, but Sabalenka’s experience in the biggest moments ultimately proved enough to send the two-time defending champion into another U.S. Open semifinal.
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