The US Open
Sabalenka storms through with new No. 1 status
Aryna Sabalenka won her debut match since clinching the No. 1 WTA ranking for the first time hours earlier, reaching the US Open quarter-finals 6-1, 6-3 over Daria Kasatkina on Monday.
The second seed ascended to the top spot on the Tour as Iga Swiatek lost in the fourth round here, ending 75 weeks atop the table.
The new top player said she had hoped to face off with her rival in the final with everything at stake.
“I thought Iga would make it to the final, I just hoped that I could also,” she said.,
“I wanted to have a battle and decide it all on court. I’m sad that she lost.
“I was pushing myself so hard today, I really wanted to reach this goal (No. 1)
“It means a lot to me, my family… it’s something crazy and I still can’t believe it.”
Sabalenka wasted no time in imposing her will on Kasatkina, sweeping the opening set and exchanging breaks with her opponent to start the second as her juggernaut gained momentum.
The reigning Australian Open titleholder, who followed up with semi-finals in Roland Garros and Wimbledon, ended a run of three breaks of serve as she claimed a 2-1 lead in the second set.
Sabalenka clinched a double break in the second set, leading 5-2 but threw in some unforced errors to lose serve as she tried to serve out the win.
But a game later Kasatkina sent a return into the top of the net to yield a Sabalenka match point, which the seed pounced on for victory, her 48th of the season against 10 losses.
“It’s always tough matches with Daria,” saba;enka said after winning her fifth from seven meetings.
“I’m happy with the performance. I put her under pressure.”
Sabalenka will face off next against China’s Zheng Quiwen, who shocked 2022 runner-up Ons Jabeur 6-2, 6-4.
The loss by the Tunisian – finalist at three Slams over the past two seasons – came 18 hours after last year’s champion Iga Swiatek was also ushered to the exits in a loss to Jelena Ostapenko.
Jabeur had been suffering here with a virus which seriously impacted her game.
The fifth seed was unable to make an impression in the fourth-round match, taking the loss on Zheng’s fourth match point.
The 20-year-old winner will be playing in her first major quarter-final after defeating a Top 10 player for the fourth time.
“I feel just super-happy and excited to play in the big stadium,” the winner said after victory on the Armstrong court.
“Ons is a fantastic player with a lot of variation in her game – this was an impressive win for me today.
Zheng was successful 10 of the 13 times she went to the net as she followed her game plan in the 81-minute victory with 21 winners and 17 unforced errors.
“I know my game has to be aggressive. A couple of times in the match was was too defensive, she got her chance and broke me.
“I have to take the match on my own. This is an amazing win for me, I want to enjoy it a bit more.”
A disappointed Jabeur explained what went wrong for her.
“It was a tough match, probably she played a good game.
“It was not my day today, being in the fourth round, just a bonus. I wasn’t expecting to even play at the beginning, so.
“We’ll get back to work and hopefully we’ll improve more for sure.”
Alexander Zverev on Thursday made a long-sought after return to the Shanghai Masters semi-finals, booking his first final four at the event since 2019, defeating Alex de Minaur 6-4, 6-4.
The 2027 year-end No. 1 last got this far as the Covid pandemic began to surface in China in 2019. The event was not played 2020-2022, with the German making modest progress here over the past three editions since resumption.
After winning his 62nd match of the season, the 29-year-old was pleased with his performance.
“I think it was a huge step up. From just being on the court I felt both of us were playing really well.
“I was, a lot of the time, outhitting Alex, which is difficult to do from the baseline because he is so fast and he loves this kind of court speed here.
“I felt good and I’m happy with the step up from the past couple of matches.”
Zverev advanced in 78 minutes, sending over 10 aces as he defeated the Australian for the ninth time in their 13 matches.
Added the reigning Roland Garros and Flushing Meadows Grand Slam champion: “I’ve been handling pressure quite okay this year. In a way you play a bit more relaxed.
“Once Jannik (SInner) unfortunately announced he won’t play for the rest of the year, I’m 4,000 points ahead of everyone else, so I trust myself enough that I’m going to win [enough matches].
Zverev will play for the final to wrap up the Asian swing as he takes on Spain’s Alejandro Davidovich Fokina, who advanced when Arthur Gea quit their quarter-final with injury.
Alexander Zverev will claim world year-end No. 1 honours for the first time on the back of two Grand Slam titles and a final this season.,
The ATP confirmed the changing of the guard as current No. 1 Jannik Sinner ended his season early last week due to a knee injury which has kept him off court since winning Wimbledon three months ago.
Zverev won Roland Garros and US Open trophies and lost to Sinner in the All England Club final.
His reign at the top will begin after the ATP Final in Turin with the ranking period starting on November 23.
Zverev will be 29 years, 217 days old on the date, three days older than Andre Agassi in 1999 (29 years, 214 days).
Main photo:- Alexander Zverev by ISF Ltd
The protagonists from the just-completed China Open will give the WTA Wuhan event a miss, with both Zheng Qinwen and finalist Mirra Andreeva skipping the key Asian date.
Beijing weekend champion Zheng who thrilled a nation with her home title victory, is claiming a right shoulder injury which Andreeva feels “fatigue.”
“I’m very sorry to share that I will be withdrawing from this year’s Wuhan Open,” Zheng said in a statement. “Wuhan is where my tennis dream began, and the Wuhan Open is also where I made my breakthrough at the WTA 1000 level.
“I have always looked forward to competing in front of my hometown fans.
“Since returning from injury, however, I have played a demanding stretch of tennis over the past month and a half, competing at the US Open, the Billie Jean King Cup, and the China Open.
“My body is feeling very fatigued after this intense run of matches. I look forward to returning to the Wuhan Open next year and stepping onto the court in my best possible form!”
Andreeva’s Beijing performance has lifted the teenager into the ranking top 3 for the first time and gives her a shot at the world No. 1 ranking by season’s end next month.
Main photo :-Zheng Quinwen by ISF Ltd
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