Aryna Sabalenka was staring at the possibility of losing it all.
Her bid for a third consecutive U.S. Open title was in serious danger, while her long reign as the world’s No. 1-ranked woman was also under threat. But with the pressure mounting, Sabalenka summoned the resolve to keep both pursuits alive.
The top seed battled past Linda Noskova 7-6 (1), 3-6, 7-6 (10-7) in a gripping quarterfinal Tuesday, surviving a late scare to reach the semifinals and keep her title defense and No. 1 ranking hopes intact.
“What a battle. What an incredible player she is, and I’m speechless right now because I was pushing myself to the limit in this match, especially in the third set,” Sabalenka said.
The Belarusian admitted she had begun to believe the match was slipping away.
