By Richard Pagliaro | Wednesday, September 7, 2022
Aryna Sabalenka did not face a break point beating Karolina Pliskova 6-1, 7-6(4) to storm into her second straight US Open semifinal.
Photo credit: Julian Finney/Getty
Unrelenting drives and an unbreakable serve powered Aryna Sabalenka to a US Open semifinal return.
Channeling her crackling power with precise placement, Sabalenka swept Karolina Pliskova 6-1, 7-6(4) to storm into her second straight US Open semifinal.
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Banned from Wimbledon in June along with Russian players and Belarusian compatriots, Sabalenka overwhelmed Pliskova today avenging her 2021 Wimbledon semifinal defeat to the Czech power player.
A dynamic Sabalenka did not face a single break point and tripled Pliskova's winner output—30 to 10—improving to 3-0 in Grand Slam quarterfinals.
The last time Sabalenka won five matches in a row was at the 2021 US Open where she surged to the semifinals bowing to Leylah Fernandez in three sets. Sabalenka is back in the New York groove now raising her US Open record to 15-4.
Asked why she's been so successful on the fast Flushing Meadows courts, Sabalenka offered a one-word response: "People."
Continuing her quest for a maiden major final, Sabalenka will face either world No. 1 Iga Swiatek or eighth-seeded American Jessica Pegula in the semifinals.
Two-time Roland Garros champion Swiatek is 3-1 lifetime vs. Sabalenka sweeping the last six sets they've played. Sabalenka has won three of four meeting vs. Pegula with the American winning their lone hard-court clash at the 2020 Cincinnati played in Flushing Meadows.
"Both tough opponents, of course its semifinal, it's gonna be tough," Sabalenka told ESPN's Rennae Stubbs afterward. "I'm ready for it. I'm ready for another fight.
"I think I have to stay focused on myself, do whatever I can and do my best and be ready for a great battle."
This is an explosive and somewhat calmer Sabalenka than we've seen recently. Maybe that's because Sabalenka knows her tournament could have ended in round two. The sixth-seeded Sabalenka faced near competitive death in the second round and now stands two wins from her first Grand Slam championship. Sabalenka recovered from a 2-6, 1-5 deficit and denied two match points rallying past Kaia Kanepi 2-6, 7-6, 6-4 in a gripping second-round win.
In recent years, Sabalenka's serve has been both menacing weapon and booming betrayal shot as double faults piled up. Sabalanka says she worked on reconstructing her service motion during Wimbledon which she spent training in Miami. Adopting a simplified serving approach to serve has made all the difference during this US Open run.
Instead of trying to squeeze serves close to the lines at crunch time, Sabalenka says she's focusing on swinging freely at big targets in the box.
"I would say that I completely changed my motion," Sabalenka said. "My toss was too far in front and I was trying to hit the ball so hard without spin.
"Right now, I'm not going for aces just put my serve in big targets and just play the point."
Early on this match was target practice as Sabalenka called all the shots against a drained Pliskova.
At the outset, Sabalenka shredded Pliskova from the baseline hitting seven winners to none for the Czech surging to a 4-0 lead.
Twenty-six minutes into the match, Sabalenka earned a pair of set points. Pliskova saved the first and Sabalenka sailed a forehand on the second set point.
The 2021 Wimbledon finalist double faulted deep to face a third set point. Sabalenka stung a forehand return winner down the line, sweeping the opening set with command.
When Sabalenka lined up her down the line drive, she frequently flashed winners into the corner. In contrast, a sluggish Pliskova looked a little depleted and allowed herself to be pushed back behind the baseline.
The sixth-seeded Belarusian belted a pair of aces powering through the opening hold of the second set. Pliskova stamped her second hold, and first love hold of the match, to level.
Deadlocked at 3-all, Sabalenka stared down her first stress test at love-30. Sabalenka banged four heavy serves in a row holding for 4-3. By then, Sabalenka swatted eight forehand winners compared to none for Pliskova.
The next game, Pliskova was even at deuce when she hooked a forehand behind Sabalenka. The strike helped her level after eight games.
Serving at 5-6, Pliskova made a desperate squash shot forehand dig off a rocket return. That stretched shot fell over into the short court saving Pliskova from a potential break point. The 22nd-seeded Czech held firm to force the tiebreaker.
Stalking the baseline on return, Sabalenka blasted a big forehand return down the line setting up a backhand drop shot for 5-2. Whipping a diagonal forehand winner, Sabalenka gained match points at 6-3.
On her second match point, Sabalenka drove a dagger forehand down the line slashing the hard court with a final strike to close in on hour, 22 minutes.