Karolina Pliskova did not reach the semi-finals of the US Open. After 84 minutes, she lost to the world’s sixth player, Arina Sabalenkova of Belarus, 1:6, 6:7 and, like last year, ended up in the quarter-finals at the New York Grand Slam. On the other hand, doubles players Kateřina Siniaková and Barbora Krejčíková managed the quarter-finals by defeating the Dobrowská-Olmoská duo 6:3, 6:7, 6:3.
A year later, Sabalenková will repeat her participation among the top four players of the tournament. In the battle for the final, you will challenge the world number one from Poland, Iga Šwiateková or Jessica Pegulaová from home.
“The match was very affected by the start. I gave her a lot of chances and she didn’t go into the match. I didn’t play like in the previous matches or in the round of 16 with Azarenka. I didn’t come close to this performance. But it is also about the opponent and Arena didn’t give me many chances. And very excellent. I never played against her when she was at such a level,” Pliskova said at a press conference.
The former world number one, who played the 22nd player in the tournament, scored 23 unforced errors and only 10 winning balls in the quarter-finals. In the match, she helped herself with one ace, and made six double faults. Sabalenkova lost after two previous wins and for the third time in five matches. However, in New York, she scored the best result in the Grand Slam tournaments this season.
Pliskova started the match against the sixth seed miserably. She lost four opening matches and lost three times in the first set. While Sabalenkova played nine winning balls, the Czech had only one. After 28 minutes, she apparently lost the set and went into the back room for a while before continuing.
Plíšková, a 2016 US Open finalist, had another unpleasant moment in the second set, when she faced a break point in 3:4. However, she avoided the risk of losing serve and the match came short. In it, Sabalenková ran to a 6:3 lead and finished the match with the second match point used. In the match, she helped herself with seven aces and 30 winning balls.
“Even though she was playing well and I was looking for myself, I thought I could catch myself in the second set. The tiebreak was tough and it could have happened either way. With these guys playing like vabank, the first turn can, Two balls. Unfortunately, that didn’t happen,” Pliskova said.
In general, she evaluated the tournament positively. The 22nd player in the world added, “Since arriving in America, I’ve been playing better tennis than I’ve been playing for the whole year. I hope to be on the right track and will continue with these performances.”
Krejčíková and Siniak conducted the battle
Barbora Krejčíková and Kateřina Siniaková, unlike Plíšková, made it to the semi-finals, continuing to cherish the chance to complete the so-called Grand Slam. This year’s winners at the Australian Open and Wimbledon beat Canadian-Mexican pair Gabriela Dabrowska and Juliana Olmosova 6:3, 6:7, 6:3. In the battle for the final, they will challenge US-Australian pair Nicole Melicharova-Martinezova, Elaine Berezova.
“It was a great match. The start was slower, but we progressed well after that. We had a lot of chances in the second set, but we couldn’t take advantage of them. It’s even better if we managed to get it in,” Sinyakova told reporters after the match.
The 26-year-old Czech tennis players, who play as three seeded on concrete courts at Flushing Meadows, lost their serve in the third game of the opening set, but won five straight games and won from 1:3 the first set in 37 minutes.
In the second set, the Olympic champions from Tokyo won another break and topped 3:1. But then they lost their serve twice in a row and lost the set in a short match.
In the deciding set, the Czechs won two more breaks and at 5:3 earned four match points when opponents were serving. Although they did not use it, they created two more opportunities during the subsequent service. After two hours and 28 minutes of play, thanks to a converted sixth match point, they finished the match and equaled the record at the 2018 US Open by advancing to the semi-finals.
“We don’t think about getting close to the title. We go match by match, because once we start to think about it, the title won’t happen. We’re focused on playing well and finding the right strategy against our opponents. And then we either win or we don’t win.”
Tiafoe confirmed victory over Nadal
American tennis player Frances Tiafoe defeated ninth-seeded Russian Andrei Rublev 7:6, 7:6, 6:4 at the US Open, and will play in the semi-finals of a Grand Slam for the first time. The 24-year-old local player continued his previous victory over world number two Rafael Nadal and will face Italian Yannick Sener or Spain’s Carlos Alcaraz in the next stage.
Tiafo, 22nd in the championship, avenged his defeat of Rublyov in March at the Indian Wells Championships. He advanced to the top four in a Grand Slam tournament for the first time thanks to two well-managed slots in the opening sets.
Both players held the service for a long time even in the third set. Tiafoe only got his first break in the bout in game seven, and thanks to his 100% serve, he led the duel to the lead. He assisted with 18 aces and 46 winning balls in the match.
Rublev did not advance to the top four of the Grand Slam even at the sixth attempt. For the fifth time, he did not lose a set in the quarter-finals.
US Open Tennis Championships in New York (hard surface, $60 million grant):
men:
Singles – Quarter-finals: Tiafoe (22-USA) – Rublev (9-Russia) 7:6 (7:3), 7:6 (7:0), 6:4.
Women:
Singles – Quarter-finals: Sabalenkova (6 bl.) – Pliskova (22-CR) 6:1, 7:6 (7:4).
Doubles – Quarter-finals: Krejčíková, Siniaková (3-CZ) – Dabrowská, Olmosová (5-Can./Mex.) 6:3, 6:7 (4:7), 6:3.
Young girls:
Singles – Round Two: Havelichkova (2-CR) – Elievova (Fr.) 3:6, 6:1, 6:3.
