Rybakina Rallies Past Gauff
Elena Rybakina recovered from a set down to upset home favourite Coco Gauff 3-6 6-4 6-4 in a fiercely contested US Open semi-final, earning a place in the final against defending champion Aryna Sabalenka. The Kazakh, who will become world No 1, kept alive her pursuit of a third Grand Slam title. Gauff, the fourth seed, had taken the opening set in front of a passionate crowd that included former US first lady Michelle Obama.[S1]
Rybakina capitalised on some sloppy play from the American in the second set to level the match. In the decider, she used her power to break for a 5-3 lead. Gauff broke back, but her comeback faltered when she could not hold serve, and Rybakina broke again to seal the win. After the match, Rybakina admitted there were nerves and praised Gauff as a great player, adding that she told herself to fight and show good tennis.[S1]
Sabalenka One Win from Three-Peat
Earlier in the night, top seed Aryna Sabalenka defeated Jessica Pegula 7-5 6-2 to move within one victory of a third consecutive US Open title. Sabalenka sent over 29 winners and seven aces, closing out the match with an unreturnable shot deep in the American's territory. Third-seeded Pegula, the 2024 runner-up, started strongly but was undone by costly mistakes in the second set.[S1]
Sabalenka said she was desperate for the win and felt confident and strong both mentally and physically. Pegula described it as probably the best match Sabalenka had played this year and said she was not upset because there was little she could have done. The final will see Rybakina, the Australian Open champion and former Wimbledon winner, face Sabalenka, who is seeking a rare three-peat in New York.[S1]
