Aryna Sabalenka, the reigning women’s champion, fought off a spirited Novak Djokovic to reach the semi-finals of the US Open on Tuesday, earning her victory over Carlos Alcaraz.
With a 6-3, 7-5, 3-6, 6-4 quarter-final victory over Taylor Fritz on the Arthur Ashe Stadium court, Djokovic snuffed out his chances to win the first American Grand Slam singles title since 2003.
The victory placed the 38-year-old Serbian in a mouthwatering semi-final with Spanish second seed Alcaraz on Friday, chasing a record-breaking 25th Grand Slam victory.
Fourth seed Fritz double-faulted on match point in the tenth game of the final set to earn Djokovic the victory and couldn’t hide his relief at winning in the end.
A few points on either side in this kind of match will determine the winner, he said. It was “a very close match,” the player said. It was really anyone’s match.
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In a three-hour, 24-minute battle that spanned the length of his career, Fritz was left ruining his inability to make the most of the opportunities that came his way. He only scored two of 13 points.
Instead of allowing Djokovic to wiggle off the hook and take a one-set lead, the American fourth seed wasted five break points in the opening set that would have made it 5-4.
Then, after coming back to break Djokovic to tie the game at 5-5, Fritz was immediately broken, giving up the lead.
The veteran Serb regrouped to win the next set while Fritz hit back in the third set as Djokovic duly held for a two-set lead.
Djokovic said, “I thought I was really lucky to save some important break points in the second set.” He was, in my opinion, the better player for the majority of the second and third sets.
Alcaraz, a 22-year-old Spaniard who is currently in blistering form, will face Djokovic in the final four matches.
The Czech 20th seed Jiri Lehecka was defeated 6-4, 6-2, 6-4 in just one hour, 56 minutes, according to the five-time Grand Slam champion.
Alcaraz is back in complete control of the semi-finals against Lehecka, but this time it was Alcaraz who had never let down a set.
Alcaraz, who has won 35 of his last 36 matches since the start of the Italian Open in May, described it as “a really, or almost perfect match.”
“Just two more steps to go, I guess, and let’s see what happens. But I’m still hungry and feeling great right now.
Sabalenka walkover  
After Czech quarter-finalist Marketa Vondrousova’s knee injury forced her to withdraw from the women’s draw on Tuesday, world number one and defending champion Sabalenka advanced to the semi-finals.
Vondrousova, the 2023 Wimbledon champion, was offered sympathy by Sabalenka in bid to become the first woman to successfully defend the US Open since Serena Williams won a hat-trick of titles in 2014.
After everything she’s been through, I’m so sorry for Marketa. She has played incredible tennis, and I know how hurtful this must have been for her, according to Sabalenka, who has now advanced to the US Open semifinals or better five times in a row.
The walkover sets up a repeat of the US Open final from the previous year on Thursday when Sabalenka takes on fourth-seeded American Jessica Pegula.
Barbora Krejcikova, a unseeded Czech, defeated Pegula 6-3, 6-3 in the semi-finals earlier on Tuesday.
Pegula’s breakout form led to her entering the US Open, which saw her exit WTA competitions in Washington, Montreal, and Cincinnati early on.
But she has since rediscovered her self-assurance as she makes covert rounds in New York against a number of unseeded foes.
After winning in a 1hr 26min match, Pegula declared, “I think I’ve been playing some really good tennis.”
Pegula expressed her gratitude for the chance to redress Sabalenka’s defeat in the previous year.
Source: Channels TV
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