NEW YORK — Aryna Sabalenka will keep the No. 1 ranking for at least one more day and is two victories from a three-peat at the US Open after surviving a 7-6(1), 3-6, 7-6(7) quarterfinal thriller against Wimbledon champion Linda Noskova at Arthur Ashe Stadium.
Noskova, the No. 6 seed from Czechia, could do nothing with Sabalenka’s second-serve ace on match point during the third-set tiebreak, ending the two-hour, 22-minute match.
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Sabalenka used an efficient serve, something that was missing at times in her fourth-round victory over Taylor Townsend, to sprint out a 3-0 lead in the first set, before she let her serve and emotions bring her down.
In the ninth game with Sabalenka serving for the set, she let out a loud scream after a double fault and was subsequently broken by Noskova, who took three consecutive games to even the match and force a tiebreak.
The four-time Grand Slam winner blitzed through the tiebreak, but lost all momentum during a troublesome second set, where her forehand started to go awry. Noskova, in her first US Open quarterfinal, started to take advantage with her pinpoint serves and sent the match to a deciding set on her fourth opportunity, with one of her 18 aces that Sabalenka didn’t even bother to reach.
When she was broken in the fifth game of the third set, Sabalenka crouched down and let out another scream after an unforced error. Noskova seemed to be in control at the point up 4-2, but Sabalenka rushed back to take three straight games.
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“What a battle, what an incredible player she is. I’m speechless right now because I was pushing myself to the limit in this match, especially in the third set,” Sabalenka said after the match.
“I honestly thought that the match is over. I think that’s what helped me to feel loose and go after my shots. I’m super happy to get this win. It was a tough match, a tough battle.”
Sabalenka’s hold on the No. 1 ranking, which she has held since October 2024, is now dependent on what Elena Rybakina does in her quarterfinal match against Qinwen Zheng, who has come back from 0-5 set deficits to win in each of her last two matches. If Rybakina wins, she ascends to the top of the rankings, no matter what any other player does the duration of the tournament.
Sabalenka will make her sixth straight US Open semifinal appearance, where she will play the winner of the all-American quarterfinal between No. 3 seed Jessica Pegula and No. 26 seed Emma Navarro.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Aryna Sabalenka survives Linda Noskova in three-set thriller at US Open quarterfinals
