Under the lights of a balmy Arthur Ashe Stadium evening, Aryna Sabalenka faced off against Zheng Qinwen in a US Open quarterfinal for the second straight year. The No. 2 seed looked to replicate the form that had seen her through last year. And the outcome was remarkably similar to last year’s affair.
A Repeat Performance
In much the same vein as in 2023, Aryna Sabalenka put on a display of dominance. She routed Zheng 6-1, 6-2. The first few games told the story of this one. Sabalenka was in command from the outset. She was playing on point with a good, well-played game plan. Zheng was never in rhythm and couldn’t keep up with the Sabalenka pressure.
That adds an interesting layer to their rivalry. Earlier this year, Aryna Sabalenka won the Melbourne final against Zheng to capture back-to-back Australian Open titles. Then Zheng beat Sabalenka to take the gold medal at the Paris Olympics in a tournament Sabalenka skipped out on. These matches have set up an intriguing matchup each time they come across each other.
Sabalenka’s Advantage
Coming into the match, Sabalenka was fresh and confident. In comparison with Zheng, who had to fight through to get here three painful three-setters, she had lost only one set during the tournament. She was also on a nine-match winning streak since the Cincinnati title—a big plus.
Zheng, known for her strong serve, struggled to get going with her service games. The same player that started this tournament with 49 aces in the bag wasn’t able to draw on that against Sabalenka. Inconsistent serving and faltering groundstrokes meant Zheng could rack up many unforced errors.
The first set took all of 35 minutes to complete. Aryna Sabalenka broke her early, and Zheng never looked back. Frustration was beginning to show in Zheng as she continued to fail to keep her shots in. With precision and confidence, Sabalenka closed out the first set with a 6-1 scoreline.
Aryna Sabalenka Cruises to Semifinals
It was a 71-minute match where Aryna Sabalenka showed her art and tactics, as she never lost another game once she gained that 4-1 second set lead. The second set ended 6-2 to seal her place in the last four. Next up for Sabalenka is the young starlet Emma Navarro, fresh from her win over Paula Badosa. It will be their third meeting. This year in Roland Garros, Sabalenka took the win, while at Indian Wells last year, Navarro won. This one looks set to be quite a clash.
If the seedings hold, Sabalenka might be up against world No. 1 Iga Swiatek for the championship. Aryna Sabalenka could lean on her recent victory over Swiatek in Cincinnati. Again, Swiatek has been highly dominant throughout their head-to-head, leading 8-4 as of now. This match would be one of the most highly anticipated, with the best pitted against the best. But Sabalenka’s result against Zheng shows just how well she’s playing and sets her up as one of the tournament’s more formidable challengers. She may face Kontaveit next, and her story has truly been one of the highlights of this US Open.
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