Belarusian Aryna Sabalenka, already guaranteed to become world number one after the US Open, qualified Wednesday, September 6 for the semi-finals of the tournament against the Chinese Qinwen Zheng (23rd) 6-1, 6-4. She will face Madison Keys, 17ᵉ world, for a place in the final. The American eliminated Czech Marketa Vondrousova (9th), surprise Wimbledon champion, 6-1, 6-4.
Finalist at Flushing Meadows in 2017, Keys had not passed the round of 16 of his national Major since his half in 2018. Sabalenka, winner in January of the Australian Open, will try to reach his second final in Grand Slam.
Since the elimination in the round of 16 of the Polish Iga Swiatek, defending champion, the Belarusian knows that she will take the lead in the new WTA ranking when it is published on Monday. “Obviously I’m happy to become number one, it’s very important, but I have things to do at the US Open this year,” she commented. I’ll think of number one when it’s over. »
Sabalenka in the footsteps of Serena Williams
Sabalenka is the first player to reach the last four of the four Majors in the same year since Serena Williams in 2016. Against the Belarusian, Zheng did not weigh heavily: in the first set, Sabalenka won 25 of the 34 points played, leading 5-0 in just over a quarter of an hour. The Chinese then won her first game, without however being able to prevent her opponent from completing the first set in twenty-seven minutes.
The game then evened out until Sabalenka broke the break to lead 4-3, taking advantage of an unforced error from Zheng. The Chinese held her final face-off by saving a first match point in passing, to force Sabalenka to serve to win the game. What she did without trembling.