Eighteen aces flew past her and she trailed by a break in the deciding set, yet Aryna Sabalenka came through against Linda Nosková to reach a sixth consecutive US Open semi-final. The world number one had not dropped a set in New York until the Wimbledon champion breached her defences, the Czech saving seven of nine break points and edging in front in the decider. Sabalenka steadied herself at the moment it mattered most. "I honestly thought, 'this is it,'" she admitted afterwards. She then closed out the final tie-break with an ace to win 7-6, 3-6, 7-6.
