Australian Open champion and tournament favorite Aryna Sabalenka is through to the US Open semi-finals after a demolition of Olympic gold medalist Qinwen Zheng in Arthur Ashe Stadium on Tuesday night.
Arguably the most eye-catching quarter-final match-up on the women’s side of the US Open failed to ignite inside a flat Arthur Ashe, with Sabalenka dropping just three games en route to a comprehensive 6-1, 6-2 victory in just 73 minutes.
Sabalenka now advances to a semi-final meeting with Emma Navarro after the American enjoyed a straight-sets victory over Paula Badosa in the afternoon session on Tuesday.
Sabalenka, the back-to-back Australian Open champion, dominated every facet of Tuesday’s quarter-final, dominating on serve and from the baseline.
The World Number 2 hit almost twice as many winners, forced twice as many errors and recorded fewer unforced errors in a performance that sets down a marker ahead of Sabalenka’s semi-final against Navarro on Thursday.
Speaking after Tuesday’s quarter-final, Sabalenka said securing a break in Zheng’s opening service game of the match was crucial, allowing her to settle down on-court.
The first set was a story of contrasting service performances, with Zheng landing just 31% of her first serves in play and winning just 36% of her points on second serve, handing Sabalenka an opportunity to break early on and again while leading the set at 4-1.
Sabalenka, on the other hand, landed 67% of her first serves in play during an exemplary display of serving, winning 71% of her points on first serve.
Zheng also struggled badly on her second serve, winning just seven of 22 points behind her second serve throughout the one-sided quarter-final.
Meanwhile, Sabalenka bossed proceedings from the baseline, with Zheng hitting just four winners during a difficult 36-minute opening set.
Another difficult service game in the opening game of the second set handed Sabalenka three opportunities to secure an early break and move toward the semi-finals. Zheng finally found some big first serves to stave off the first two break points, but a wide backhand at 30-40 gave Sabalenka the break.
Sabalenka never looked back, ruthlessly holding each of her service games in a second set that was just as dominant as the first. Zheng simply couldn’t get near Sabalenka’s serve, winning just five points against the serve throughout the set as the Belarussian landed an impressive 77% of her first serves in play.
The Belarussian secured the double-break after a characteristically loose game from Zheng, fittingly ending with a limp backhand into the net.
Sabalenka was typically ruthless while serving the match, sealing the second set in just 37 minutes.
Sabalenka, who lost last year’s US Open final against America’s Coco Gauff, looked ahead to a match-up with another American in Thursday’s semi-final.
She joked that she would buy every fan in Arthur Ashe a drink in order to win their support against the home favorite, adding that she anticipates a difficult match against Navarro. Sabalenka and Navarro have met twice before, with their head-to-head record standing at one win apiece, although Navarro has won the only meeting between the pair on a hard court.
“She’s a great player. They were two really difficult matches,” Sabalenka said. “She’s playing some incredible tennis. It’s going to be a great battle.”
