09/09/26 03:25:00
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09/09 15:23 CDT Elena Rybakina beats Zheng to reach US Open semifinals and move
to No. 1 in the women's rankings
Elena Rybakina beats Zheng to reach US Open semifinals and move to No. 1 in the
women's rankings
By BRIAN MAHONEY
AP Sports Writer
NEW YORK (AP) --- Elena Rybakina is headed to the U.S. Open semifinals and to
the top of the women's tennis rankings.
Rybakina edged Zheng Qinwen 3-6, 6-1, 6-4 on Wednesday, guaranteeing she will
become No. 1 in the WTA rankings.
The Australian Open champion will face No. 4 Coco Gauff or No. 5 Mirra Andreeva
on Thursday. Top-ranked Aryna Sabalenka faces No. 3 Jessica Pegula in the other
semifinal.
But no matter what happens in the remaining matches, Rybakina will end
Sabalenka's 99-week stay at No. 1 when the new rankings are released Monday.
"It's just a number right now and of course I'm in the semis so my goal is to
win the tournament," Rybakina said. "It's an amazing achievement but you know
how quick everything can change in tennis, ranking-wise, during the match, so I
feel like I just need to focus on my game, try to recover and enjoy tomorrow."
Rybakina and Zheng were scheduled to start about eight hours after Ben Shelton
finished off his victory over defending champion Carlos Alcaraz at 3:33 a.m.,
the latest finish in U.S. Open history.
Rybakina said she struggled with the sun and shadows in Arthur Ashe Stadium
early on after starting later in the day in her previous matches.
Zheng capitalized on Rybakina's early struggles to get her only break of the
match against one of the best servers in women's tennis and take a 5-3 lead in
the first set.
But Zheng, who had been playing from behind so much in Flushing Meadows,
couldn't hold onto the lead and Rybakina rolled through the second set in 38
minutes.
Zheng, the 2024 Olympic gold medalist from China, had to come through the
qualifying tournament just to make the main draw after elbow surgery dropped
her down the rankings to her current place of No. 121. Once ranked No. 4, she
is guaranteed to move back into the top 60.
She made a dramatic run to the quarterfinals, erasing a 5-0 deficit in the
third set against Madison Keys in the third round and then climbing out of
another 5-0 hole in the first set in her fourth-round victory over No. 8-seed
Iga Swiatek.
But a double-fault gave her opponent a 5-4 lead in the third set and Rybakina
served it out to reach the U.S. Open semifinals for the first time.
"I think the wins that I had so far are great, but obviously today in the match
I got a lot of chances in the third set, but I didn't take it," Zheng said.
"That was a bit pity for me to lose this match, but obviously I could take
positive things from U.S. Open this year."
Rybakina came into the tournament needing only to reach the semifinals to
ensure she would move past Sabalenka. Had the 27-year-old from Kazakhstan lost
before the final four, Sabalenka, Pegula or Gauff could have been No. 1 next
week by winning the tournament.
Top-seeded Alexander Zverev was to face Botic van de Zandschulp in one
quarterfinal match Wednesday, with No. 28 Alexander Blockx playing Karen
Khachenov in the other. The winners will meet Friday, the same day Shelton and
No. 11 seed Frances Tiafoe will square off in an all-American semifinal match.
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