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Rybakina Advances to US Open Semis, Climbs to No. 1 Ranking
Confirmed
In Short: Elena Rybakina overcame a setback to reach the US Open semifinals and secure the world number one ranking.
Rybakina, the Australian Open champion, secured her place in the US Open semifinals by defeating Qinwen Zheng in a thrilling match that lasted over two hours. The victory not only secured her a spot in the last four but also propelled her to the top of the rankings for the first time in her career. According to reports, Rybakina said, 'It’s just a number right now, I’m only in the semis and the goal is to win every tournament I play.
The match was a comeback for Rybakina, who dropped the first set but rallied to win the next two, securing her place in the semifinals. Zheng, who had enjoyed a fairytale run in the tournament, was unable to maintain her form, particularly on the larger Ashe court. Zheng, the first qualifier to defeat Iga Swiatek at a major, admitted, "I guess to come back from 0-5 (Saturday) is not lucky, that's all I can say," and noted it took her some time to settle into the match.
In other matches, Ben Shelton reached the semifinals after a dramatic five-set victory over Carlos Alcaraz, marking the latest finish in the tournament's history. Shelton's journey to the semis is particularly noteworthy, given his young age and the fact that he will be an American finalist in the tournament. Alcaraz, who had been expected to perform well after his return from injury, was eliminated in a tough match.
The semifinals will see an American finalist, with Shelton facing Frances Tiafoe, while Rybakina will face Mirra Andreeva. Tiafoe and Andreeva will face off in the other semifinal. Tiafoe's journey to the semis is part of a historic run for American tennis, with both Tiafoe and Shelton guaranteed a place in the final if they win their respective matches.
In a separate match, Emma Raducanu's compatriot Qinwen Zheng, who had been enjoying a remarkable run, was unable to maintain her form and slipped to 121 in the rankings after her defeat. Zheng's journey from qualifying to the main draw was impressive, but the physical toll of her near 12-hour match caught up with her in the end.
What's still developing
- The Australian Open champion was also on an 18-match unbeaten streak at Grand Slam tournaments, having missed the French Open and Wimbledon with injury, and was seeking to reach his fourth New York semi-final in five years.
- Seven-time major winner Alcaraz had exceeded expectations on his return after more than four months out with a wrist injury, including sweeping past 20th seed Tommy Paul to reach the last eight.
- Zheng was enjoying an Emma Raducanu-style run in New York but, although the 23-year-old from China’s fairytale eventually came to an end, she is now back on the verge of the top 50 having slipped to 121 after elbow surgery.
- “I feel like I just need to focus on my game and enjoy tomorrow.” Rybakina dropped a set for the first time this fortnight but hit back strongly in the second.
- "I just focus on point by point," Zheng said, adding that she was so focused on the rallies that she lost track of the score.
- Gauff next faces fifth-seeded French Open champion Mirra Andreeva, a 5-7, 6-4, 6-3 winner over Anastasia Potapova.
- Alexander Blockx's dream debut continued with a gritty 6-3, 4-6, 7-5, 7-5 victory over Argentina's Francisco Cerundolo, which made the 21-year-old the first Belgian man to reach the US open last eight.