![\"Aryna](\"https:\/\/static.toiimg.com\/thumb\/msid-133948088,imgsize-42545,width-400,height-225,resizemode-4\/sabalenka-0909-x.jpg\")
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\nAryna Sabalenka kept her hopes of winning a third straight US Open title alive after edging Linda Noskova 7-6 (1), 3-6, 7-6 (10-7) in a thrilling quarterfinal on Tuesday.Sabalenka looked close to losing her title defence and her hopes of staying No. 1 in the world. But she fought back when it mattered most and reached the US Open semifinals for the sixth straight year.\u201cWhat a battle. What an incredible player she is and I\u2019m speechless right now because I was pushing myself to the limit in this match, especially in the third set,\u201d Sabalenka said. \u201cI honestly thought that that\u2019s it, the match is over and probably that\u2019s what helped me to kind of like, I don\u2019t know, feel loose and just go after my shots.\u201dSabalenka will face either No. 3 Jessica Pegula or No. 26 Emma Navarro in the semifinals on Thursday.She finished the match with a second-serve ace to beat Wimbledon champion Noskova and move into the last four.<\/p>\n Sabalenka was in danger of suffering her earliest US Open exit since 2020 when Noskova broke her serve in the third set and moved 4-2 ahead.But Sabalenka held serve and then produced one of her best games of the match. She broke Noskova at love to level the set at 4-4.\u201cI just felt at some point in the third set she was definitely serving better than me and putting so much pressure on me,\u201d Sabalenka said. “But I\u2019m glad that I kind of threw that thought away and I was able to focus point by point and, like, literally just trying to build something bigger in that moment.\u201cI got, not lucky, but I\u2019m happy the way I broke her serve at 3-4. I think I really played a great intensity level of tennis, and that really gave me so much confidence that I still can get the win in this match.\u201dSabalenka eventually won the match tiebreak 10-7. She went 2-0 down but moved ahead for good when Noskova double-faulted to make it 4-3. Sabalenka then won the next two points to gain some breathing room.She avoided her first US Open loss since Coco Gauff beat her in the 2023 final.<\/p>\n Noskova, the No. 6 seed, had won her first major title at Wimbledon and came close to reaching the US Open semifinals.She finished with 46 winners and 18 aces, compared with Sabalenka’s 42 winners and 12 aces.Both players looked to finish points quickly, while Sabalenka also showed good speed in chasing down drop shots.\u201cBeing a break up in the third set, it\u2019s not very easy. Also having a little break at the start of the tiebreak in the third one, as well, it\u2019s frustrating, obviously,\u201d Noskova said.“But at the same time, Aryna, she played the best tennis that she could in those moments, which didn\u2019t really make it easy for me.\u201dNoskova finished with her best run at the US Open. Before this tournament, she had reached only one Grand Slam quarterfinal, at the 2024 Australian Open.<\/p>\n Sabalenka came into the US Open after losing in the fourth round in Toronto and Cincinnati. She had also exited Wimbledon at the same stage.However, she found her form in New York and did not drop a set before reaching the quarterfinals.Sabalenka needed to win this match to keep alive her hopes of remaining No. 1. She will lose the top ranking, which she has held for 99 consecutive weeks, if No. 2 Elena Rybakina beats Zheng Qinwen on Wednesday to reach the semifinals.If Rybakina loses, Sabalenka can keep the No. 1 ranking by winning the US Open title.<\/div>\nSabalenka fights back in the third set<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n
Noskova puts up a strong fight<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n
No. 1 ranking also at stake<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n