As we approach the home stretch of the 2022 US Open, only four players remain in each of the singles draws following Wednesday’s play. On Day 10, Aryna Sabalenka, Frances Tiafoe, Iga Swiatek and Carlos Alcaraz booked their semifinal spots–and are potentially just two matches away from their first New York title.
Sabalenka and Tiafoe dominate in the afternoon:
Weather had improved following yesterday’s flood of rain. But with ominous gray skies still lingering in the air, only the players in Arthur Ashe Stadium truly shined.
In the day’s first contested singles quarterfinal, Sabalenka met No. 22 seed Karolina Pliskova of the Czech Republic. Pliskova, the 2016 US Open runner-up, may have had the experience but lacked the strength and speed to defeat the No. 6 seed. Instead, Sabalenka–a six-foot-tall 24-year-old–blazed through the first set in less than half an hour. When Pliskova returned with her ‘A’ game during set two–which lasted almost twice as long as the first, at 54 minutes–Sabalenka still managed to win points when it mattered most, claiming victory in a tiebreak. Final score: 6-1, 7-6(4).
In his quarterfinal against No. 9 seed Andrey Rublev, American Frances Tiafoe demonstrated he was more than just the player who beat Rafael Nadal in Round 4. Instead, the 24-year-old Washington, D.C., native brought an aggressive, nearly flawless game against an agile and powerful opponent who faltered only slightly towards the end of a tough three sets. Tiafoe, the No. 22 seed, downed Rublev in two hours, 36 minutes: 7-6(3), 7-6(0), 6-4. Throughout the match, he raised his arms and motioned with his hands, riding the vocal crowd’s enthusiasm.
Calling his second-set tiebreaker “the best tiebreaker I’ll ever play,” Tiafoe reflected on the match in a more subdued press conference. He said that he had started becoming complacent in 2019, but that this season marked a major turning point in terms of maturity.
“The more you do something, the better you’ll be at it,” he said, mentioning how he’d improved his diet perhaps above all else. “Everybody’s got a gift, you just have to take it seriously.”
Swiatek shows her dominance against Pegula:
The evening session at Arthur Ashe Stadium also featured two hot matches—one of which is still burning.
First, world No. 1 Iga Swiatek of Poland–who won this year’s Roland Garros title–managed to overcome a dizzying number of break points against No. 8 seed (and home hero) Jessica Pegula of Buffalo, N.Y. Swiatek kept the hard-swinging American No. 1 at a distance in a relatively tight first set. But the second set saw 10 breaks in 12 games, leading to a dramatic tiebreak. In 75 minutes, Swiatek won the decider. She took the match in one hour, 53 minutes: 6-3, 7-6(4).
In a post-match, on-court interview, an emotional Swiatek said: “I’m super proud of myself, you know? My goal, basically, is to be consistent against the top players in the world. I remember when I was an underdog and any match like that was pretty surreal. Now, it feels a little bit like a routine, but I’m happy that I have motivation and an opportunity to push even harder, because I think any of us can win any tournament.”
Alcaraz defeats Sinner in latest US Open match ever:
It was the last quarterfinal scheduled for Wednesday. By the time it concluded Thursday morning, it was one of the best US Open matches of all time— and certainly the latest.
It took five sets over the course of five hours and 15 minutes, but Carlos Alcaraz—the 19-year-old No. 3 seed from Spain—is now in his first Grand Slam semifinal, defeating Jannik Sinner 6-3, 6-7(7), 6-7(0), 7-5, 6-3 at 2:50 a.m.
“I feel great to be in my first semifinal in a Grand Slam,” Alcaraz said in a post-match press conference. “I feel better reaching semifinal here at the US Open. This tournament is amazing. The crowd is amazing, I would say the best in the world.”
But of his Friday semifinal against a red-hot Frances Tiafoe, the Spaniard expects a challenge.
“It’s going to be really, really tough,” Alcaraz said. “He’s playing unbelievable right now. He loves the crowd, he loves this court. Right now, I’m trying to enjoy this moment. I’m thinking about this match, this moment.”
Doubles:
Two women–American Caty McNally and Australian Storm Sanders–managed to win both their women’s and mixed doubles quarterfinal matches on Wednesday.
McNally and partner/compatriot Taylor Townsend defeated Desirae Krawczyk and Demi Schuurs, the No. 6 seeds in women’s doubles, 6-3, 6-1. McNally and wild card partner William Blumberg, also of the United States, endured a bit more of a challenge against Ostapenko and Vega Hernandez in mized, winning 7-6(8), 6-2.
The women’s doubles No. 12 seeds, Sanders and American partner Caroline Dolehide took out singles semifinalist Caroline Garcia of France and her partner/compatriot Kristina Mladenovic, 6-3, 6-3. In mixed, Sanders and countryman John Peers downed Canadian Leylah Fernandez–last year’s singles runner-up–and American Jack Sock, 7-5, 7-6(3).
Doubles:
Two women–American Caty McNally and Australian Storm Sanders–managed to win both their women’s and mixed doubles quarterfinal matches on Wednesday.
McNally and partner/compatriot Taylor Townsend defeated Desirae Krawczyk and Demi Schuurs, the No. 6 seeds in women’s doubles, 6-3, 6-1. McNally and wild card partner William Blumberg, also of the United States, endured a bit more of a challenge against Ostapenko and Vega Hernandez in mized, winning 7-6(8), 6-2.
The women’s doubles No. 12 seeds, Sanders and American partner Caroline Dolehide took out singles semifinalist Caroline Garcia of France and her partner/compatriot Kristina Mladenovic, 6-3, 6-3. In mixed, Sanders and countryman John Peers downed Canadian Leylah Fernandez–last year’s singles runner-up–and American Jack Sock, 7-5, 7-6(3).
Juniors:
Due Wednesday’s rain washout, a number of junior matches–singles and doubles, boys’ and girls’–were contested across different rounds today.
The girls’ top seed, Sofia Costoulas of Belgium, lost in three sets to the No. 14 seed, Mirra Andreeva in Round 3. The boys’ No. 1 seed, Daniel Vallejo of Paraguay, won in three sets.
Wheelchair:
The wheelchair tournament is officially underway. Top seed Shingo Kunieda of Japan won his first-round singles match, 6-3, 7-5, and No. 3 seed Aniek Van Koot of the Netherlands won her opener, 6-4, 6-3.
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