No. 2 Aryna Sabalenka, the runner-up at last year's US Open, dominated her quarterfinal match against Qinwen Zheng on Tuesday night, advancing to the semifinals at Flushing Meadows for the fourth consecutive year. Sabalenka, who defeated Zheng with a score of 6-1, 6-2, showcased her powerful performance in front of tennis legend Roger Federer, who was in attendance at the US Open for the first time since his retirement.
The victory sets up a semifinal clash between Sabalenka and Emma Navarro. Sabalenka, a 26-year-old player from Belarus, is aiming to achieve a rare feat by winning both the Australian Open and US Open titles in the same year, a feat last accomplished by Angelique Kerber in 2016.
With a remarkable record of 9-1 in major quarterfinals, Sabalenka boasts one of the best win percentages among women in the Open era. Her consistent performance has led to nine major semifinal appearances since the beginning of 2021, the most by any women's player during that period.
On the other side of the women's draw, the semifinal opponents will be determined on Wednesday. No. 1 Iga Swiatek will face off against No. 6 Jessica Pegula, while No. 22 Beatriz Haddad Maia will take on unseeded Karolina Muchova.
For Zheng, the quarterfinal match marked a challenging encounter as she could only win three games against Sabalenka, her lowest tally in a Grand Slam match. Zheng struggled with her first serve, managing to make only 44% of them during the match.
The stage is set for an exciting conclusion to the women's singles competition at the US Open, with Sabalenka leading the charge as she aims to secure her spot in the final and potentially claim her first US Open title.
