Back-to-back primetime semifinal matches in Arthur Ashe Stadium—the first, between Ons Jabeur and Caroline Garcia; the second, an Iga Swiatek-Aryna Sabalenka showdown—determined the final women’s singles clash at the 2022 US Open, scheduled for Saturday.
Closing in!@Ons_Jabeur has her sights set on the #USOpen final. pic.twitter.com/Z7sv6LP5Uf
— US Open Tennis (@usopen) September 9, 2022
Also: The Thursday men’s doubles semifinals, set in Louis Armstrong Stadium, ensured a Brit will hoist this year’s trophy—though whether the title will belong to the No. 1 or No. 2 seeds remains unclear. Mixed doubles and women’s doubles semifinals were also contested in Armstrong.
Take it in, @Ons_Jabeur!#USOpen pic.twitter.com/bIa71zuAaG
— US Open Tennis (@usopen) September 9, 2022
Jabeur dominates, Swiatek finds a way:
The first of two women’s semifinal matches contested in Arthur Ashe Stadium on Thursday night saw Caroline Garcia of France, the No. 17 seed, fail to truly challenge Ons Jabeur, the No. 5 seed of Tunisia and this year’s Wimbledon runner-up.
.@Ons_Jabeur knows she has plenty of support at home in Tunisia 🇹🇳#USOpen pic.twitter.com/lPwPDj7Wy7
— US Open Tennis (@usopen) September 9, 2022
In 23 minutes, Jabeur blazed to a first-set victory while her opponent only managed a single game. Garcia, playing much looser than in previous matches this fortnight, improved during the second set—but still couldn’t match Jabeur’s total 83% of first-serve points won (19/23). Even if the Tunisian wasn’t at her best, with only 43% of first-serves connecting during the match (23/53), she was still aggressive and accurate enough to claim victory with relative ease: 6-1, 6-3, in 66 minutes.
Iga Swiatek is in command in the second set! pic.twitter.com/BBFxZ3z6h0
— US Open Tennis (@usopen) September 9, 2022
“Mentally I was so ready,” Jabeur said post-match. “I gave it all today. I don’t disbelieve in myself and I know that I’m going to come back and win a Grand Slam, for sure. This is tennis, and it’s part of it. I have to learn from it, definitely. But I’m very, very positive about it.”
Immediately afterward, top seed Iga Swiatek of Poland and No. 6 seed Aryna Sabalenka took to Ashe. Sabalenka won a break in the first set’s third game, which the world No. 1 chased—to no avail. In the second, the world No. 1 immediately went up a break and held her opponent at a distance—despite some long rallies in the final few games.
The decider saw Swiatek chase Sabalenka from 2-0, leveling the score at 2-2 before ceding the next two games. Down 4-2, Swiatek won the next four games, winning off a break and second match point: 3-6, 6-1, 6-4.
Swiatek rolls in Set No. 2! 🇵🇱 pic.twitter.com/FrqyXIAhQa
— US Open Tennis (@usopen) September 9, 2022
It may not have been the Pole’s cleanest performance, but she secured a spot in a sure-to-be historic final against Ons Jabeur. It will not only be each players’ first time in the US Open championship match: It will also mark the first time a Polish or North African woman has advanced to the final in New York.
World No. 1 @iga_swiatek is into the #USOpen final! pic.twitter.com/DuTcAAi3zU
— US Open Tennis (@usopen) September 9, 2022
Doubles in Louis Armstrong Stadium:
The doubles draws at the 2022 US Open are also winding down, with the men’s doubles final now set: No. 1 seeds Rajeev Ram of America and partner Joe Salisbury of Great Britain, last year’s champions, will compete against No. 2 seeds Wesley Koolhof of the Netherlands and Neal Skupski of Great Britain.
What a play by Barbora Krejcikova! 👏
The 🇨🇿 duo stayed one step ahead in this semifinal clash, and booked their ticket to the women's doubles final! @ChubbNA | #USOpen pic.twitter.com/xeuE2LsuR1
— US Open Tennis (@usopen) September 9, 2022
Mixed doubles saw Australians Storm Sanders and John Peers, the No. 4 seeds, win their semifinal over American wild cards Caty McNally and William Blumberg, 6-2, 6-7(5), [10-8].
Juniors:
For the first time since 2007, no Americans will feature in either the boys’ or girls’ singles semifinals. On Thursday, Lucie Havlickova of the Czech Republic ousted Washington, D.C.’s Clervie Ngounoue, 6-4, 6-2. Meanwhile, Belgium’s Gilles Arnaud Bailly defeated Californian Kyle Kang, 6-4, 3-6, 6-1.
Wheelchair continues, junior wheelchair begins:
Next 💥 Level 💥
These wheelchair tennis doubles rallies are too good. @DeloitteUS | #USOpen pic.twitter.com/Gx5dRHtCAC
— US Open Tennis (@usopen) September 9, 2022
The big names in wheelchair tennis—Shingo Kunieda of Japan (the men’s singles No. 1 seed), Alfie Hewett of Great Britain (the No. 2 seed), and Aniek Van Koot of the Netherlands (the women’s singles No. 3 seed)—won their quarterfinal matches. But the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center also hosted its first-ever junior wheelchair matches on Thursday, making the US Open the first Grand Slam tournament to host such an event.
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