By Anshu Taneja
Aryna Sabalenka, who is going to be the new World Number 1 on Monday, raced into the last four of the US Open with a comprehensive 6-1, 6-4 victory over Qinwen Zheng in just 1 hour and 13 minutes, highlighting her credentials as the hot favourite for the women’s title.
“I think I definitely played great tennis today,” Sabalenka said on court after her win. “I’m super happy with the win against her, she played incredible tennis at the US Open this year.”
The number two seed, who had dropped just 16 games in first four matches played in New York, won the first seven points and broke serve immediately for a 2-0 lead after a Zheng forehand hit the net-cord and drifted wide. Moments later she was already 4-0 up and the Chinese 23rd seed, who was named WTA Newcomer of the Year in 2022, had only won three points.
Zheng’s most impressive scalp in reaching her first Grand Slam quarter-final was her surprisingly quick straight sets victory over much fancied Ons Jabeur in the previous round, a match in which she was able to exert her hard flat shots. But facing the brutal baseline power of the Belarussian in hot and humid conditions on the world-famous Arthur Ashe stadium was a true baptism of fire and she crumbled in the first set.
With the roof partially closed to give the players and fans some UV protection, Sabalenka cruised to the first set 6-1 in just 27 minutes with excellent serving stats, winning 89% of points both on her first and second serves, along with eight winners and converting all four net approaches.
Zheng, who was aiming to become the third Chinese woman to reach the semis in the last ten years following Li Na in 2013 and Peng Shuai in 2014, started the second set much better and held her first three service games and even made small inroads on her opponents serve, although she couldn’t go as far as carving out a breakpoint.
Although winning a 21-shot rally in the fifth game gave her renewed confidence and belief, she continued to miss first serves at important moments and was under more pressure in the seventh game when a double fault followed by three unforced errors meant she surrendered serve just when the crowd was hoping for a true contest. Even by gifting two double faults in her next game, Sabalenka still easily held for 5-3 before going to close out the match two games later.
“Of course I’m happy … it’s incredible for me and my family,” Sabalenka commented on her rise to No.1.
“But I have some things still to do in New York this year and I’ll think about becoming No.1 after the US Open.”
In the first meeting between the two players, Sabalenka hit 17 winners to 13 and just 12 unforced errors compared to 16 from Zheng. But she won 55 points overall compared to 35 which underlined the true gulf in class. She now faces the winner of Madison Keys and Marketa Vondrousova for a spot in the US Open Final.
