Sabalenka rallies past Townsend into US Open quarters — SkimNews
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- Aryna Sabalenka rallied past Taylor Townsend 6-4, 6-3 to reach the US Open quarterfinals, recovering after Townsend broke her serve three times in the top seed's first four service games.
- Sabalenka will next face either Wimbledon champion Linda Noskova or Marta Kostyuk in the quarterfinals for a semifinal berth.
- Sabalenka praised Townsend's net play and return game, calling her "an incredible player" who was "very brave" and a "great returner" after the first career meeting between the two.
- Taylor Townsend jumped out aggressively but "struggled to find her own rhythm" after her early surge, failing to convert the early break-point momentum into a set.
- Sabalenka said she focused on playing "ball by ball" rather than point by point during the second-set turnaround, crediting her regained confidence for closing out the match.
Why it matters: As the two-time defending champion and world No. 1, Sabalenka's path now runs through either Wimbledon champion Noskova or Kostyuk — and the three breaks she surrendered to Townsend in four service games expose a first-serve vulnerability that deeper-run opponents can target.
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