Sabalenka needed all of her resolve against the multi-faceted Townsend. Townsend’s blistering service returns and the net prowess of the world’s second-ranked doubles player flummoxed the Belarusian star. She 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.
World number one Aryna Sabalenka charged into the US Open quarter-finals on Sunday, beating American Taylor Townsend 6-4, 6-3 to keep her bid for a rare US Open three-peat alive. The match opened with five breaks of serve before Sabalenka managed a comfortable hold for a 4-2 first-set lead.
World number one Aryna Sabalenka charged into the US Open quarter-finals on Sunday, beating American Taylor Townsend 6-4, 6-3 to keep her bid for a rare US Open three-peat alive.
The second set unfolded in more traditional style, neither player facing a break point through the first three games. Sabalenka immediately broke back, however, launching a run of five straight games to take the match. The Belarusian, who must win to have a chance of retaining her number one status in New York, will face either sixth-seeded Wimbledon champion Linda Noskova of Czech Republic or 11th-seeded Ukrainian Marta Kostyuk for a place in the semi-finals.
