09/10/26 10:36:00
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09/10 22:34 CDT Elena Rybakina beats Coco Gauff and will play Aryna Sabalenka
for the US Open women's title
Elena Rybakina beats Coco Gauff and will play Aryna Sabalenka for the US Open
women's title
By BRIAN MAHONEY
AP Sports Writer
NEW YORK (AP) --- Elena Rybakina rallied past Coco Gauff 3-6, 6-4, 6-4 on
Thursday night and will face Aryna Sabalenka in a U.S. Open final between the
top players in women's tennis.
Rybakina is already guaranteed to replace Sabalenka atop the rankings next week
and on Saturday will attempt to take the trophy that Sabalenka has won the last
two years.
Sabalenka beat Jessica Pegula 7-5, 6-2 in the first semifinal, running away
with the second set after they played largely even in the first.
"No complaints," Sabalenka said. "I'm just super happy that I was able to pull
out such tennis."
The nightcap was more a battle, with Gauff trying to fight from behind in the
final two sets, but Rybakina not letting her come all the way back.
Gauff jumped on Rybakina with a strong start --- she had four aces to one for
Rybakina, who leads the WTA Tour in that category --- in a first set that she
took in 38 minutes.
"Took a deep breath, was trying to talk positive with myself and just told
myself that I need to fight and try to show good tennis," Rybakina said.
The No. 2-seeded Rybakina won the Australian Open to start the year and
capitalized on Sabalenka's poor results in the summer to continue closing in
the race for No. 1. She needed only to reach the semifinals in New York to
unseat Sabalenka, who has held the top spot for 99 consecutive weeks.
Rybakina beat Sabalenka in Australia and will be seeking her third Grand Slam
title on Saturday.
Gauff won her first major title as a teenager when she rallied past Sabalenka
in the 2023 U.S. Open final, but nobody has been able to knock off the
Belarussian in Flushing Meadows since. Pegula put up a good fight in the 2024
final and last year's semifinals, but she couldn't keep it close the way
Sabalenka played Thursday -- and wasn't sure anybody else would've, either.
Sabalenka pounded 29 winners to Pegula's 12. She has won 19 straight matches at
the U.S. Open since losing to Gauff in the 2023 final.
The top four seeds made it to the women's semifinals at the U.S. Open for the
first time since 1975. Sabalenka, Rybakina and Gauff have all won multiple
major titles, while Pegula is still looking for her first.
Sabalenka needs a victory to become the first player to win three in a row in
Flushing Meadows since Serena Williams from 2012-14.
Sabalenka won 14 of 19 points on Pegula's second serve, smashing balls back
more quickly than they were coming at her.
Still, Pegula hung with her for a while.
It was already 4-all in 25 minutes and Sabalenka appeared to be getting
frustrated with not getting anywhere on Pegula's serve, waving at her coaches'
box in disgust after one miss. Pegula had won 18 of 20 points on her first
serve when she stepped to the line serving with Sabalenka leading 6-5.
Then Sabalenka suddenly hit a backhand winner, Pegula sent a forehand long and
Sabalenka hit another winner to set up a set point, and finished off the set a
couple points later.
___
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