Sabalenka and Noskova set up US Open quarter-final showdown

Aryna Sabalenka and Linda Noskova earned confident fourth-round victories on Sunday to set up a U.S. Open quarter-final between the defending champion and the Wimbledon winner.

World number one Sabalenka overcame the inventive game of 96th-ranked American Taylor Townsend, winning 6-4, 6-3. Townsend’s ranking gap did not make the match easy, but Sabalenka largely kept control and neutralised the left-hander’s attacking variety.

“It was really challenging, and going through tough challenges and overcoming those challenges, it definitely gives you strength and really strong belief that you can do it,” Sabalenka said. “These kind of matches are really, really, really like a boost of confidence.”

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It was really challenging, and going through tough challenges and overcoming those challenges, it definitely gives you strength and really strong belief that you can do it.

Sixth seed Noskova defeated Marta Kostyuk 7-5, 5-7, 6-4. The Czech player fell to the court in relief after converting her sixth match point with an unreturnable serve. The victory gave her the deepest U.S. Open run of her career and continued a standout season that includes her first Grand Slam title at Wimbledon.

The tournament also featured a strong American showing in the men’s draw. Five U.S. men reached the fourth round, the most since 1995. Tommy Paul faced second seed Carlos Alcaraz, while Alex Michelsen played Argentina’s Tomas Martin Etcheverry. Frances Tiafoe was scheduled to meet 2021 champion Daniil Medvedev, and eighth seed Ben Shelton was set to face Stefanos Tsitsipas. Jessica Pegula and Emma Navarro were also scheduled for women’s fourth-round matches against Sorana Cirstea and Anna Kalinskaya, respectively.

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These kind of matches are really, really, really like a boost of confidence.