Aryna Sabalenka survived a tense quarterfinal against Linda Noskova to keep her bid for a third consecutive US Open title on track.
The two time defending champion was pushed into a deciding set for the first time at this year’s tournament. She found herself 4 to 2 down in the final set and later trailed 2 to 0 in the deciding tiebreak.
Sabalenka responded under pressure to complete a 7 to 6, 3 to 6, 7 to 6 victory, winning the final tiebreak 10 to 7.
The result extended her unbeaten run at the US Open to 19 matches. Sabalenka has not lost at Flushing Meadows since the 2023 final.
She also became the first woman since Serena Williams in 2016 to reach six consecutive US Open semifinals.
The victory means Sabalenka remains at the top of the world rankings for now. However, she will lose the number one position if Elena Rybakina defeats Zheng Qinwen on Wednesday.
Sabalenka said she would still be delighted if she successfully defended her US Open crown even if Rybakina moved above her in the rankings.
The Belarusian now has the opportunity to become a three time consecutive champion, although she acknowledged that there is still a long way to go.
Her next opponent will be American third seed Jessica Pegula. Pegula also produced a strong comeback in her quarterfinal, defeating compatriot Emma Navarro 3 to 6, 6 to 4, 6 to 3.
Sabalenka has previously struggled to control her emotions during difficult matches. She most recently experienced disappointment at the French Open, where she lost her quarterfinal after winning the opening set.
Against Noskova, however, she again demonstrated the composure she had shown in her previous match against Taylor Townsend. Sabalenka had been broken four times in that match and trailed 3 to 1 in the second set before turning things around.
After beating Noskova, Sabalenka admitted that she had reached her physical and mental limit during the contest.
She said she had believed the match was probably over when she fell behind, but that feeling helped her relax and attack her shots more freely.
Sabalenka started strongly, breaking Noskova in the sixth seed’s opening service game and moving into a 5 to 2 advantage.
However, she was unable to serve out the opening set and was broken before dominating the tiebreak to take the lead.
Her double faults remained a problem throughout the match. She produced four in total, including one during a crucial service game in the second set.
Sabalenka also missed three break opportunities early in the second set. She was then broken in the sixth game after another double fault at 30 to 40, allowing Noskova to force a deciding set.
Another pair of double faults contributed to Sabalenka being broken again, leaving her in serious trouble at 4 to 2 down.
The world number one responded by winning the next three games and shifting the momentum back in her favour.
She eventually forced another tiebreak and completed the comeback, extending her record to 10 consecutive tiebreak victories at the US Open. She sealed the match with a confident ace on her second serve.
The win was only Sabalenka’s second quarterfinal victory since March. Earlier in the season, she had enjoyed an impressive run on hard courts, winning titles in Brisbane, Indian Wells and Miami.
Her results on clay and grass were less consistent, while she also suffered last 16 exits in Toronto and Cincinnati before arriving at the US Open.
Her latest performance suggests that Sabalenka is once again approaching her best level at Flushing Meadows.
For Noskova, the defeat ended an impressive run of 11 consecutive Grand Slam singles victories. The Czech player finished the match with more winners, fewer unforced errors and seven saved break points out of nine.