By Richard Pagliaro | @Tennis_Now | Thursday, September 5, 2024
Aryna Sabalenka soared through seven straight points defeating Emma Navarro 6-3, 7-6(2) to charge into her second straight US Open final.
Photo credit: Darren Carroll/US Open/USTA
NEW YORK—Grand Slam ghosts and double fault demons don't scare Aryna Sabalenka anymore.
Pushed to a second set tiebreaker, a calm Sabalenka unleashed a fright night finish on Emma Navarro.
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A fierce Sabalenka brought her best in the breaker soaring through seven straight points defeating Navarro 6-3, 7-6(2) to charge into her second consecutive US Open final.
Tested in the second set tonight, Sabalenka showed finishing touch.
“Well guys now you’re cheering for me—it’s a little too late,” Sabalenka joked with the crowd in her on-court interview with ESPN’s Pam Shriver. “It really means a lot even though you guys were supporting her, I still have the goose bumps.
“It was really an incredible atmosphere. I really enjoy playing. She’s such a great player—a really tough opponent—I’m really happy to get through this difficult semifinals.”
Two-time Australian Open champion Sabalenka rides an 11-match winning streak into Saturday’s 4 p.m. final where she will face either sixth-seeded American Jessica Pegula or world No. 52 Karolina Muchova for the title as she aims to bookend the 2024 season with Grand Slam championships.
If Cincinnati champion Sabalenka squares off against Pegula it would be a rematch of last month’s Cincinnati final that saw the Belarusian beat the Buffalo native 6-3, 7-5, one round after she thrashed world No. 1 Iga Swiatek in the semifinals.
“I don’t really care because today was a good test of the crowd cheering for my opponent,” Sabalenka said of the final. “Even if it’s gonna be Pegula I don’t care.
"Lesson from last year learned and I really hope I’m gonna do better than last year.”
Before a packed Arthur Ashe Stadium crowd that included Billie Jean King, Martina Navratilova and Maria Sharapova, Sabalenka stepped up her game superbly against inspired Navarro, who dethroned defending champion Coco Gauff in the fourth round before stopping Spaniard Paula Badosa 6-2, 7-5 in the quarterfinals.
Contesting her ninth major semifinal, Sabalenka smacked 34 winners—21 more than Navarro—and showed her all-court acumen. In addition to rapping eight aces, Sabalenka closed net with some fine angled volleys winning 13 of 17 trips to net.
Credit Hobart champion Navarro for battling back from 3-5 down to elicit an eruption from the packed crowd and force the Belarusian into the tiebreaker. Trailing 0-2 in the tiebreaker, Sabalenka soared through seven straight points, firing four winners along the way, to return to the final.
Hearing the Ashe Stadium crowd unleash a wall of sound brought back deja vu for Sabalenka, who blitzed Coco Gauff in the opening set of the 2023 final only to fall to Gauff and American fans 2-6, 6-3, 6-2.
Tonight, Sabalenka flashed back to that 2023 final—then she pressed mute on the crowd.
“I was like, Ok Aryna you have to stay focused, stay in your thoughts, focus on your self,” Sabalenka said. “I was thinking a lot and I was like No guys, not this time.”
This US Open has been an American anthem starring multiple American men and women in the semifinals for the first time since 2003 when Andre Agassi, Andy Roddick, Lindsay Davenport and Jennifer Capriati were semifinalists.
Sabalenka tried silencing the pro-Navarro crowd early blasting a backhand down the line to break for a 2-0 lead only to see the New York native break right back.
Twenty minutes into the match, Sabalenka scorched a forehand return crosscourt. A massive return pushed Navarro back and Sabalenka stepped into the court and crunched a drive down the line breaking at 15 for 4-2.
Erasing a break point in the seventh game, Sabalenka showed firepower and finesse. After flicking a drop-shot winner, she detonated a drive into the corner holding for 5-2.
Skimming a dropper off the top of the tape to start the ninth game, Sabalenka smacked a heavy serve to close the 35-minute opening set.
The Australian Open champion teed off on Navarro’s second serve winning six of seven points on the American’s second delivery.
Contesting her maiden major semifinal, Navarro tried to stand her ground behind the baseline, but Sabalenka’s jolting pace was knocking her into defensive positions.
Cornering Navarro on the backhand side, Sabalenka hit a barrage of backhands crosscourt to coax the error and break for a 6-3, 3-2 lead.
The second seed slammed her fifth ace backing up the break with a bang for 4-2.
Though Sabalenka held two break points to break for a 5-2 lead, Navarro was just starting to find her groove.
Recalling her second-set comeback against Badosa in the quarterfinals, Navarro cleaned up her game and played proactive tennis breaking back when Sabalenka served for the final to level at 5-all.
From 3-5 down, Navarro was landing first serves and playing with purpose, tearing off three games in a row for 6-5.
Sabalenka held strong to force the tiebreaker but double faulted to cede the mini break and a 2-0 lead to Navarro.
Both women were covering the court smoothly and serving sharply—connecting on a combined 21 consecutive first serves at one point. Sabalenka finished an 18-shot rally with a fine backhand volley then smacked a serve winner seizing a 4-2 lead in the tiebreaker.
Sliding a dropper to drag Navarro forward, Sabalenka blocked a winner down the line to gain four match points at 6-2.
Another short angled volley set up a flying smash as Sabalenka closed an impressive 90-minute conquest with a bang.