It took Laura Siegemund a moment to realize the end of the 3:12-hour thriller – but then the 35-year-old threw up her hands and hugged her partner: The Swabian is again in the semi-finals of the doubles competition at the US Open . In singles, Aryna Sabalenka presented herself in title form, while Alexander Zverev was looking forward to his cracking duel with last year’s winner Carlos Alcaraz on the German night.
“I’m really happy, it was a great doubles match,” said Siegemund, who, with her Russian partner Wera Swonarewa, won Wednesday’s quarter-final match against the duo Wiktoria Asarenka/Beatriz Haddad Maia from Belarus and Brazil 5-7, 7-5, 6-6 :4 won: “It was a fantastic atmosphere in front of so many spectators.”
“We took our chances”
Siegemund and Swonarewa won the tournament in 2020, but under completely different conditions. “It was the COVID times. It was different,” said Swonarewa: “We were lucky today, but we were patient and then took our chances.”
A final ticket is now up against the US-Brazilian team Jennifer Brady and Luisa Stefani. Siegemund, who failed in the first round after a courageous performance against the current semi-finalist Coco Gauff, is hoping for her third Grand Slam success overall. She also won the mixed event in Flushing Meadows in 2016.
Sabalenka takes on Wimbledon champion Vondrousova
The future world number one Aryna Sabalenka wants to take her first trophy in singles in New York. After demonstrating her strength, she increasingly focuses on her second Grand Slam triumph. The 25-year-old from Belarus, the 2019 doubles champion, left no doubt about the victory in Wednesday’s 6-1, 6-4 quarter-final win against China’s Zheng Qinwen.
“I definitely played great tennis today,” said Sabalenka: “I still have a lot to do in New York this year and will only think about becoming number one after the US Open.”
Sabalenka, who celebrated her first major title in singles in Melbourne in the spring and then reached the semifinals in Paris and Wimbledon, now meets Wimbledon winner Marketa Vondrousova from the Czech Republic or the American Madison Keys in the semi-finals without losing a set. After the tournament in New York, she replaces the Pole Iga Swiatek, who was at the top of the world rankings for 75 weeks. Swiatek had failed in the round of 16.
Thomas Klemm, New York Published/Updated: , Recommendations: 6 Thomas Klemm, New York Published/Updated: , Recommendations: 2 Christopher Meltzer, Wolfsburg Published/Updated:
Alexander Zverev, who is scheduled to take on Carlos Alcaraz at 1 a.m. on Thursday night, has already made it one step further than Swiatek. Zverev has nothing to lose, even reaching the quarter-finals with victory over Jannik Sinner was a success in his comeback year.
