Sabalenka keeps three-peat bid alive with win over Townsend

No. 1 seed Aryna Sabalenka overcame a second-set deficit to defeat home favorite Taylor Townsend 6-4, 6-3 in the US Open fourth round, advancing in 1 hour and 15 minutes.

The two-time defending champion extended her New York winning streak to 17 matches and reached her 17th Grand Slam quarterfinal, including six at the US Open. Sabalenka must win a third straight title -- and have Elena Rybakina lose before the semifinals -- to remain atop the PIF WTA Rankings.

"Probably they don't understand how hard it is mentally and physically to keep up the level and mentally stay kind of like disconnected from that, because the moment you start thinking about that, like, you lose it," Sabalenka later said in press when asked about the prospects of losing her No. 1 ranking.

"So probably they don't understand how tough mentally it is not to focus on that and, like, constantly focusing on improving yourself."

Despite her No. 96 ranking, Townsend has long been a threat to top players at Flushing Meadows. She has reached the Round of 16 three times, and two of her three career Top 10 wins came at this tournament: over Simona Halep in 2019 and Mirra Andreeva last year.

"With someone like Aryna, who is at that level and at that caliber, you know, you really have to take advantage of every opportunity that you have," Townsend said.

"Her serve, when she needed it, was really, really good, which you know, I wasn't able to get a ton of free points or a ton of second serves in those moments when I was up."

The 30-year-old was seeking the biggest upset of her career and her first Grand Slam quarterfinal.

Townsend’s power and variety have often unsettled opponents, but Sabalenka absorbed the pressure and took control as the match progressed.

It was Townsend’s third straight Grand Slam loss to the defending champion, following first-round defeats to Coco Gauff at Roland Garros and Iga Swiatek at Wimbledon.

"It's a learning experience," Townsend said. "But I'm really happy for the moment, and I think going out in this match, this was the most comfortable and confident I've ever been playing against a No. 1 player in the world."

Sabalenka will next face Wimbledon champion and No. 6 seed Linda Noskova, who narrowly defeated No. 11 Marta Kostyuk 7-5, 5-7, 6-4. 

"I love matches like that," Sabalenka said of Townsend, "because it was really challenging, and going through tough challenges and overcoming those challenges, it definitely gives you strength and really strong belief that you can do it.

"So these kind of matches is really, really, really like a boost of confidence."

After tight moments, Sabalenka pulls away

For a set and a half, the first meeting between the pair remained close -- if not in the usual way. The first five games, and seven of the opening set’s 10, went against serve. Sabalenka was sharp on return but gave away errors behind her own delivery.

The four-time Grand Slam champion took control once she secured the match’s first hold, a love game for 4-2. She could not serve out the set at 5-2, but produced one of her best forehand winners to break Townsend and seal it.

Townsend opened the second set with another surge, striking a sharp forehand return winner to break for 3-1. It proved to be her last opening. Sabalenka lost only five more points while winning the final five games.

Sabalenka worked through an uneven day on serve to finish with 14 winners and 14 unforced errors. Townsend, meanwhile, could not consistently impose the game plan that had brought her this far. She won eight of 20 points at net, and a missed serve-and-volley attempt gave Sabalenka the match on her second match point.