Sabalenka reaches US Open quarters

NEW YORK
Aryna Sabalenka kept her US Open three-peat bid alive Sunday, charging into the US Open quarter-finals with a confidence boosting victory over tricky American Taylor Townsend.
Sabalenka took everything the multi-faceted Townsend threw at her to emerge with a 6-4, 6-3 victory, winning the last five games to push her Flushing Meadows win streak to 17 matches.
“I love matches like that, because it was really challenging, and going through tough challenges and overcoming those challenges, it definitely gives you strength and really strong belief that you can do it,” Sabalenka said.
“So these kind of matches is really, really, really like a boost of confidence.”
Sabalenka is vying to become just the third woman, after Chris Evert and Serena Williams, to win three straight US Open titles.
She’ll have to lift the trophy just to have a chance of retaining her world number one ranking, and even if she does her time at the top could end in New York, where second-ranked Elena Rybakina needs only to reach the semis to be assured of ascending.
“I completely separate myself from that, because it’s just guessing,” Sabalenka said of the multiple number one scenarios — which could also see third-ranked Jessica Pegula or even No. 4 Coco Gauff end the tournament at the top.
“I’m just trying to bring my best tennis every time I’m competing out there and basically fight for it,” she added.
Sabalenka needed all of her powers of concentration in her first career meeting with Townsend, the world’s second-ranked doubles player who boasts formidable skills at the net as well as power from the baseline and a steely return game.
The match opened with five breaks of serve before Sabalenka managed a comfortable hold for a 4-2 first-set lead.
She had double-faulted to hand Townsend a break in the second game and Townsend broke again in the fourth with a massive service return.
But Sabalenka’s sustained power and precision proved a little too much.
Townsend broke her as she served for the set at 5-2, but by the time the American managed a hold for 5-4 it was too late, and Sabalenka held serve for just the second time to pocket the set, saving a break point before putting it away with a trademark forehand winner.