Coco Gauff staved off two match points to battle back from a set down to beat Mirra Andreeva and tee up a blockbuster US Open semi-final against new world No 1 Elena Rybakina.
Gauff had no answer as she lost the opening set 6-2 in just 26 minutes. She was then twice reeled in from a break up as Andreeva forced a tiebreak. Twice, the Russian set up match point, but Gauff ultimately prevailed in a 16-point breaker. That shifted the momentum decisively, and the American took the third set 6-2 in front of a raucous home crowd.
She will now face Rybakina in a stellar last-four line-up. It is the first time the top four women's seeds have reached the semi-finals at a Grand Slam since Wimbledon in 2009, after top seed Sabalenka and third seed Jessica Pegula went through on Tuesday.
“At the end of the first set I was thinking about Frances [Tiafoe] and how he came back yesterday,” said Gauff, referring to her compatriot's win over Alex Michelsen in the men's singles.
“We all want to do well in front of this crowd. Honestly, I was just trying to leave the court with no regrets. I don't have that fear of disappointing [the crowd]. I'm just using them and knowing that when I step on this court, they're still going to have my back,” she added.
Zheng falls short, Pegula raises game
Zheng Qinwen had earned a reputation as a comeback artist at Flushing Meadows but ran out of gas on Wednesday, losing 3-6, 6-1, 6-4 as Rybakina chipped away at her defences after overcoming early mistakes at Arthur Ashe Stadium.
“It's tough to find words,” said Rybakina, who will dethrone Sabalenka at the top of the world rankings on Monday. “It wasn't maybe the highest level, but I'm glad I pushed through.”
Pegula advanced by fighting back to beat fellow American Emma Navarro 3-6, 6-4, 6-3, reaching her second major semi-final this year after the Australian Open, and will now face Sabalenka.
The 32-year-old has also reached five finals this season, the most on the WTA Tour.
“I think it's fun to look at the rivalry we've had,” she said of her upcoming battle with the defending champion. “She's got me here the last couple of years. I have been able to beat her a few times, maybe on a smaller stage, so I think that's going to be kind of a hurdle for me to get over.”
Zverev enjoying strong year
Alexander Zverev took another big step towards a second Grand Slam title by beating Dutchman Botic van de Zandschulp 6-2, 7-5, 6-1 to reach the men's semi-finals, where the German will take on Karen Khachanov.
The 29-year-old French Open champion got off to a slow start in his campaign but has steadily found his range. “I think you saw in the first two rounds, I really didn't play well,” Zverev said.
“In other tournaments I would be out in the first round, but here I can fight back and play best of five sets, play four hours. I've started playing better throughout the tournament and I'm definitely happy to be in the semi-finals here.”
The German has reached the semi-finals at all four majors this year and is the only Grand Slam winner left standing in the men's draw. “I don't take it for granted at all,” Zverev said. “I know it can change in a heartbeat in tennis. I think confidence is something that is incredibly important but also can go away quite quickly.”
Khachanov advanced to his first major semi-final since 2023 when No 28 Belgian Alexander Blockx retired after multiple medical timeouts while trailing 6-2, 7-5, 3-2 in the day's first quarter-final.
Blockx, who took painkillers due to a rib injury during his fourth-round win against Francisco Cerundolo, was battling upper-body pain during his first career major quarter-final.
“I was preparing really well for this matchup and it was not easy, as from one side I felt like I was dominating from the beginning and then I felt he was struggling more and more, and it is a mixed feeling,” Khachanov said after the match. “I wish him a speedy recovery. I saw that he was suffering all over his body.”
The men's semi-finals line-up is completed by the all-American battle between Tiafoe and Ben Shelton.
