Top seed Aryna Sabalenka fought back from the brink of defeat against sixth seed Linda Noskova, securing a hard-fought victory to keep her championship defence alive at the US Open. Sabalenka, who is pursuing another crown at Flushing Meadows, admitted that her primary focus remains retaining her title, noting in her press conference, I’ll be more than happy. Three-peat – sounds great,
according to the BBC.
Aryna Sabalenka Survives Linda Noskova Scare to Keep US Open Title Defence Alive
The match began with Sabalenka seemingly in command as she broke Noskova’s opening service game and surged out to a 5-2 lead. However, Noskova broke back as the top seed served for the set. Although Sabalenka dominated the subsequent tie-break to take the opener, her performance was persistently plagued by double faults—finishing the match with four—and missed opportunities on break points. She squandered three early break opportunities in the second set before dropping her serve in the sixth game with a double fault at 30-40, allowing Noskova to force a deciding set.
A Dramatic Decider and Decisive Tie-Break
The momentum swung sharply toward Noskova in the third set. After hitting two more double faults to be broken for a third time in the match, Sabalenka fell behind 4-2 as her opponent held serve to love. Looking down and out, the top seed mounted a fierce response, winning the next three games to alter the course of the match entirely.
Sabalenka ultimately sealed her comeback by winning the tie-break, marking her 10th successive tie-break victory at the tournament in a streak stretching back to 2021. She clinched the win with a nerveless second-serve ace. Reflecting on the physical and mental toll of the encounter, Sabalenka told the BBC, I have to say that knowing that physically my body can handle these matches again, I’m super happy with that.
She added that the tight battle provided a significant boost of energy and motivation.
Statistical Breakdown of the Clash
The gruelling encounter highlighted stark contrasts in statistics and recent form for both competitors:
* Sabalenka’s Hard-Court Season: Prior to the US Open, the top seed experienced mixed results, suffering last-16 exits in Toronto and Cincinnati following early-season hard-court titles in Brisbane, Indian Wells, and Miami. * Quarter-Final Consistency: The victory marked only Sabalenka’s second quarter-final win since March, though she maintains a flawless quarter-final record at the US Open across six attempts. * Noskova’s Stymied Run: Despite hitting more winners, recording fewer unforced errors, and successfully saving seven of nine break points, Noskova’s defeat brought an end to her impressive streak of 11 consecutive singles victories at Grand Slam tournaments. * Tie-Break Dominance: Sabalenka extended her flawless US Open tie-break streak to 10 matches dating back to 2021.
For Noskova, the loss halted a stellar run at major tournaments, while Sabalenka advanced forward, leaning on the confidence gained from surviving one of the tournament’s most testing encounters.
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