The current runner-up on the WTA list is not stopping. At the US Open, she is confident and ruthless towards her opponents. In the five matches so far, she has not lost a set and lost 21 games. He’s really in good shape.
Qinwen Zheng had nothing to offer
But in the quarter-finals, the tennis truth is confirmed that in the decisive phases of Grand Slam tournaments, the players from the second row, who and who make great surprises, fail. Then experience, routine and the truth of the ranking take over.
Zheng, 23rd in the world, is just climbing the tennis hierarchy. Last year, she advanced to the first hundred, and then she also made herself felt by the speeding Iga Świątek, when she won a set with her during the Roland Garros victory for the Polish woman.
Sabalenka’s advantage over the Pole in the WTA ranking is growing. From 201 points it has now increased to 551 points.
In the New York tournament, she impressed primarily in the fourth round match. She eliminated the finalist of the previous edition, a Tunisian woman Ons Jabeur. In the fight for the semi-finals, apart from some good play in the second set, she had nothing much to offer.
The first set didn’t last half an hour
In the first set, Sabalenka needed 28 minutes to win. Zheng won the only game at 0:5. None were played to advantage. The Chinese woman did not have a single break point either. This is the best proof of the impotence of the 21-year-old tennis player from Asia, who did not look like a player who could in any way threaten the future leader of the WTA ranking.
Sabalenka didn’t have to make much effort. She did not serve any aces in this phase of the match, although she is the leader in this classification in this year’s US Open (24 aces in previous meetings). The Belarusian was rather waiting for Zheng’s mistakes, and she actually made mistakes very often (seven unforced errors).
Sabalenka retained control in the second set
Sabalenka turned out to be too demanding a player for the Chinese tennis player. The difference in levels between the opponents of the first of today’s quarterfinals was huge in the first set, large – in the second.
The Chinese went to work. First of all, she took care of the service. There was a definite change in this regard compared to the first set, where she was only 25 percent accurate. Now Zheng was much more precise. In the first three games, she didn’t have to defend herself from breaking even once. This happened in the fourth game. The Chinese player failed to keep the ball in the court twice. Sabalenka took the lead 4:3.
Even though in the next one made two double errors she won it. In the 9th game she had the first match ball. The Chinese woman still fought, extended the match. But she couldn’t do anything with Sabalenka’s service game. The Belarusian easily defeated the 20-year-old.
551 points ahead of Iga Świątek
The Belarusian advanced to the semi-finals of a Grand Slam tournament for the seventh time in her career out of seven attempts. Regardless of the outcome of the Wimbledon winner’s quarterfinal that night Marketa Vondrusova will face the American Madison Keys, she is the favourite.
As you can see, Sabalenka reacted well to Iga Świątek’s defeat. First, she easily defeated Daria Kasatkina, and now she defeated another seeded player. Her advantage over the Polish woman in the WTA ranking is growing. From 201 points it has now increased to 551 points.
US Open Women’s Singles Quarterfinals
Aryna Sabalenka (2) – Qinwen Zheng (China, 23) 6-1, 6-4
Match stats
% of break points won
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