AFP – World number two Aryna Sabalenka demolished Olympic gold medallist Zheng Qinwen to reach a fourth successive United States (US) Open semi-final on Tuesday.
Australian Open champion Sabalenka, runner-up to Coco Gauff in New York last year, triumphed 6-1, 6-2 and will take on Emma Navarro of the US for a place in the final.
It will be a ninth career semi-final at the Slams for the 26-year-old from Belarus.
She also defeated the Chinese star at the same stage of the US Open in 2023 before going on to beat the 21-year-old again in the Australian Open final in January.
“It was important that I got the early break, that was an advantage because it’s tough to face her,” said Sabalenka after her 73-minute win which saw Zheng hit just nine winners.
The 13th-seeded Navarro reached her maiden Slam semi-final earlier on Tuesday with a straight-sets victory over Paula Badosa of Spain.
Sabalenka and Navarro are 1-1 in their head-to-head meetings with both clashes coming this season. The American won at Indian Wells before Sabalenka came out on top at the French Open. “The drinks are on me if you cheer for me,” Sabalenka told the Arthur Ashe Stadium crowd in an effort to drum up backing for the semi-final against the New York-born Navarro.
“She’s a really good player. We had two battles, they were really close.”
Meanwhile, Olympic champion Zheng said her tame US Open quarter-final exit was caused by a sleepless night following the record late finish to her previous match, but predicted she will be “prime time” when she gets back to China.
The 21-year-old Zheng said she only got to bed at 5am and was unable to practise on Monday.
“I couldn’t sleep after I finished the match at 2.30 in the morning. I’m not able to practise yesterday because I was feeling terrible. I couldn’t wake up,” said Zheng after her 6-1, 6-2 loss to Sabalenka.
“Sometimes the schedule is like this. If I hit some balls yesterday maybe it would help for the match today, but it’s fine.”
Now the Chinese star heads home for the Asian swing, where she hopes her rising profile will mean more favourable match schedules, especially when the WTA stops off in Wuhan in October.
“I’m sure they will put me in prime time all the time. They will not put me late like here, I’m sure, and I will always get the court when I want, how long I want,” she confidently predicted.
“This is the best thing because here it is not easy to get the court. I have to fight a lot, even when I’m seeded. I’m sure there will be my pictures in Wuhan. Yes, when I think about it, I’m happy to be back in Wuhan.”
Sabalenka’s win yesterday was witnessed by tennis legend Roger Federer, whose appearance on the television screens around Arthur Ashe Stadium sparked the loudest cheers.
“I saw him on the big screen. I’m pretty sure he came to watch Tiafoe and Dimitrov,” said Sabalenka in reference to the men’s quarter-final which followed her match.
“But still, I was like, okay, I have to play my best tennis so he enjoys it. I have to show my skills, you know, slice skills, come to the net and all that stuff. It was a nice moment.”
