Aryna Sabalenka defeated home favourite Emma Navarro to advance to the US Open final for the second successive year.
On Thursday night in New York, Sabalenka – who defeated Chinese Olympic champion Zhen Qinwen to reach the last four – showed her power to overwhelm the American starlet. She sealed a 6-2, 7-6 (2) victory to advance to the final where she will hope to avenge her defeat to Coco Gauff 12 months ago.
Sabalenka entered the clash with Navarro as the favorite given her prowess on the hard surface. She is now looking to become the first woman since Angelique Kerber in 2016 to win both the Australian Open and US Open.
Sabalenka and Navarro had split their two previous meetings, but the faster surface favored the 26-year-old. While Navarro’s composure and ability to counterpunch kept her in the game, Sabalenka proved too strong; after all, her forehand is stronger than any male’s from Carlos Alcaraz to Novak Djokovic.
Sabalenka served first and set the tone with her power serve; the only point she dropped was a double-fault, and she finished the service game with an ace. The former world No. 1 fired a special backhand winner down the line to earn a first break point, and Sabalenka took it when Navarro hit the net.
The Arthur Ashe crowd then desperately tried to elevate Navarro, and a rousing ovation rippled around the stadium when she expertly returned a ferocious Sabalenka serve. The two-time Australian Open champion struggled to reign in her serve, and followed up another double-fault with a long forehand. After a Sabalenka ace staved off one opportunity, Navarro got her break.
The American grew into the contest. She quickly ripped through her service game to tie the first set at 2-2, expertly sealing the game with a leaping double-handed backhand. Navarro displayed supreme confidence to approach the net, only for Sabalenka’s raw power to reestablish itself. She rattled through the fifth game, and broke Navarro in the sixth. But the resilient American showed admirable fight in a seventh game which featured a stunning 13-shot rally and a winner that even Sabalenka applauded.
However, ironically, Sabalenka sealed a third successive game with a beautiful drop shot, highlighting how her game can masterfully mesh power with finesse. Navarro stopped the rot and held serve with an ace, but Sabalenka could not be tamed; she took the first set with double as many winners as Navarro (16:8).
The pair exhanged serve holds to open the second set, and Arthur Ashe stadium eruted when Navarro battled hard to hold the third game. But Sabalenka was formidable, holding serve either side of another break to tighten her grip on a place in the final.
DON’T MISS
Billionaire US Open star adds another £360k to huge net worth with Swiatek win
Garbine Muguruza has controversial response picking between Nadal and Alcaraz
US Open ace Jack Draper’s dad among sport’s most influential people this century
Navarro admirably spurned Sabalenka’s break points to hold serve, and then broke her to tie the second set at 5-5. If there was a roof on Arthur Ashe, it would have been blown off. Buoyed by the crowd, the rejuvenated Navarro held serve, leading to a tremendous standing ovation before Sabalenka dug deep to force a tiebreak.
A pair of double-fault hindered Sabalenka early, but it was only brief. She won the tiebreak 7-2 to clinch victory in 90 minutes.
Sabalenka is made for the big stage and the bright lights of New York, making at least the semifinals in each of the last three years. And she is just one win away from an elusive first US Open title.
Sabalenka will face either Jessica Pegula or Karolina Muchova in the US Open final.
