An epic Sabalenka revived ‘in the extreme’ and avoided the dream final at the US Open

He is the new number 1 in the world (he will be on Monday, September 11) and has acted like it. Aryna Sabalenka is the main star this Thursday at the US Open after achieving an epoch-making comeback in her semifinal match against Madison Keys.

The Belarusian qualified for the New York Grand Slam final for the first time after lifting a game they lost 6-0, 5-3.

The start was disastrous for Sabalenka, who stopped with chaining errors against a very inspired Keys who didn’t give any kind of option and took the first set by a massive 6-0.

The second set started better, finally winning his first game and not allowing his rival a single point, but he returned to his old ways and served another break to go down 2-1. He got angry and exchanged a few words with his team before throwing his racket and being scolded.

After this incident, he took a step forward and She immediately regained the break of serve, but Keys did not give up: In the next game, on Sabalenka’s serve, the Belarusian hit harder, she regained the break lead.

The American maintained his lead and served for the match at 5-4, but lost his service game. From 3-5 to 6-5, the Belarusian won 12 of the 13 points played. She had two chances to level the contest at a set apiece, but Keys made it big with an ace and a service winner, before taking the set to a tie-break. Sabalenka was unstoppable.

The American had to leave the track for medical reasons before the start of the third set. He returned with a large bandage on his left thigh.

In the deciding set, after an exchange of serves, the two players reached a super tie-break.

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Sabalenka quickly took the lead and thought she had won when she earned the seventh point: He dropped his racket, put his hands to his face, and turned to his box.

“I thought it was seven o’clock… Fortunately, I was focused, because the game could go either way. I don’t know how I managed to rotate the game. “I really wanted to get to the final,” commented the Belarusian at the end of the match, which closed with a score of 0-6, 7-6(1), 7-6(5).

Sabalenka will play for the title this Saturday (10pm) with another American, Coco Gauff. Dubbed to be the heir apparent to the Williams sisters, Gauff defeated Czech Karolina Muchova (10) in the other semifinal by 6-4 and 7-5 in two hours and three minutes, thus becoming the youngest American who reached the final of the ‘great’ New Yorker since Serena Williams in 1999.

This semi-final match against Muchovawhich Gauff made on his sixth match point and had energetic moments like the 40-stroke point in the final game, was suspended for approximately 50 minutess at the start of the second set due to an environmental protest in the stands.

One of the three protesters was pinned to the ground and Arthur Ashe Stadium security worked for more than 30 minutes to remove him from the venue.

This is not the first grand slam final for Gauffwho in 2022 was one step away from glory at Roland Garros but finally fell against the Polish Iga Swiatek.

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“It’s crazy. I grew up watching this tournament so it means a lot to me to make it to the final“said tonight, as soon as he finished his match, the African-American tennis player born in Delray Beach (Florida, USA) in 2004.

“There is much to celebrate, but the work is not done yet, so I hope you will support me on Saturday,” he added.