Aryna Sabalenka beats Emma Navarro in straight sets. On Saturday she will fight for her third Grand Slam title on hard court, against either Jessica Pegula or Karolina Muchova.
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Sport in Seriousness
A year after losing the US Open final that should have gone in her favor, Aryna Sabalenka gets another chance to take home the title on Saturday.
Sabalenka, who has won the last two Australian Open titles, earned her chance at a third hard-court major with a commanding 6-3, 7-6 (7-2) victory over American Emma Navarro in the semifinals on Thursday.
No. 2 seed Sabalenka, known for her power but also for occasionally breaking down under pressure, was rock solid against Navarro, hitting 29 winners and seven aces. Sabalenka’s overall clean play, combined with the aggressiveness she always displays, gave Navarro little chance to make an impression in her first Grand Slam semifinal.
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Sabalenka had only one misfire. Serving for the match at 5-4, Sabalenka stiffened up a bit and Navarro managed to punish a few returns to break and tie the set. But the tiebreak belonged to Sabalenka, who won 7-2 and put all thoughts of another US Open disappointment to rest.
Sabalenka’s history at the US Open has been marked by heartbreak, but this could be the year of redemption.
In 2021, Sabalenka was the clear favorite in the semifinals but lost to Leylah Fernandez in three close sets. After the match, she admitted that the pressure of trying to win her first Grand Slam title was too much for her.
In 2022, she again lost the semifinals in three sets against eventual champion Iga Swiatek.
Last year, Sabalenka won the final comfortably against Coco Gauff in the first set with 6:2, before things got out of her hands and Gauff secured the title.
Sabalenka, a 26-year-old Belarusian, came into this year’s US Open with a 39-11 record, including the title in Cincinnati at her last tournament. She continued her run in New York, dropping just one set.
Sabalenka is considered the favorite in Saturday’s final against Jessica Pegula or Karolina Muchova.
Follow Dan Wolken on social media @DanWolken
