The Japan Times - Sabalenka storms past Pegula to reach US Open final in bid for three-peat

The Belarusian -- who will surrender her world number one ranking to Elena Rybakina even if she earns the title -- was simply unstoppable in a 7-5, 6-2 victory on Arthur Ashe Stadium, where she beat Pegula en route to US Open victories in 2024 and 2025.

Sabalenka, bidding to join Chris Evert and Serena Williams as the only women to win three straight US Open titles, struck 29 winners, including seven aces, pounding third-seeded Pegula remorselessly with her powerful groundstrokes.

She will take on the winner of the later semi-final between second-seeded Rybakina and fourth-seeded Coco Gauff in Saturday's title match.

On the evidence of her semi-final win, Sabalenka will head into the final bristling with confidence after producing her best performance of the tournament to snuff out Pegula's dream of a first ever Grand Slam title.

"I'm super happy I was able to play such tennis," said Sabalenka, who sent down seven aces and 29 winners. "I was so desperate to win. I wanted it so badly."

Both Sabalenka and Gauff served superbly in a tense first set that came down to the final game.

Sabalenka's frustration at her inability to make any headway against Pegula's serve showed with shrugs and a bounced racquet, but she maintained her focus and was rewarded as Pegula, feeling the pressure to stay in the set as she served down 6-5, fell behind 0-40.

The American saved one set point but couldn't salvage the next as Sabalenka seized control of the point with a fierce service return and took the set when Pegula hit a forehand into the net.

Sabalenka kept rolling in the second set, attacking Pegula's suspect second serve and seizing a break for a 3-1 lead when she lasered a forehand into the corner.

She sealed the victory with another break, unleashing another thunderous forehand on match point.

It was more Grand Slam disappointment for Pegula, who fell to Sabalenka in the 2024 final -- her only major final to date -- and in the semi-finals last year.

Sabalenka, 28, has had a slow summer since winning back to back titles at Indian Wells and Miami in March, opening the door to Rybakina to end her reign atop the rankings that began in October 2024.

Rybakina was bracing for a hostile reception against Gauff, who has been a favorite of New York crowds since her US Open debut as a 15-year-old wild card in 2019.

- Rybakina eyes title -

Their head to head record is 1-1, but Gauff's win came back in 2023 with Rybakina taking their most recent encounter in the semi-finals at Toronto just last month.

The Kazakh star has appeared untroubled by the heel injury that clouded her preparations for the Open, leaving her unable to walk without pain for several days.

Rybakina had been closing in on Sabalenka's number one ranking for weeks. Having secured it, she was trying to stay laser focused on the hunt for a third Grand Slam title to go with Australian Open title she captured in January -- four years after she lifted her first major trophy at Wimbledon.

"Mostly you think about the titles in the end of the day," she said.

The men's semi-finals are on Friday, when eighth-seeded Ben Shelton takes on 11th seed Frances Tiafoe in an all-American clash.

Shelton took out defending champion and seven-time Grand Slam winner Carlos Alcaraz in an epic quarter-final that ended at 3:34 am on Wednesday -- the latest finish in tournament history.

"Big Ben" and "Big Foe" will duel for a chance to end American men's 23-year Grand Slam title drought -- stretching back to Andy Roddick's 2003 US Open victory.

The winner will take on either top-seeded Alexander Zverev or unseeded Russian Karen Khachanov -- who ousted third-seeded Felix Auger-Aliassime on the way to his third career Grand Slam semi.

H.Hayashi--JT