Sabalenka Cruises into US Open Quarter-Finals, Eyes Semi-Final Spot

Aryna Sabalenka demonstrated her dominance on the hard courts of Flushing Meadows with a commanding 6-2, 6-4 victory over Elise Mertens, securing her place in the US Open quarter-finals for the fourth consecutive year. The second seed, who was the runner-up to Coco Gauff in last year's final, showed her prowess by hitting 41 winners and saving all eight break points faced against her former doubles partner from Belgium.

Sabalenka's impressive performance extends her remarkable streak of reaching the quarter-finals or better in her past eight Grand Slam appearances. She is now the first woman to achieve four straight quarter-final berths at the US Open since Serena Williams did so in 2016. Her only defeat before the quarter-finals during this period came at the 2022 Australian Open, where she was upset by Kaia Kanepi. Since then, Sabalenka has been unbeaten in Melbourne, capturing the Australian Open title in 2023 and successfully defending it earlier this year.

Looking ahead, Sabalenka will face either Olympic champion Zheng Qinwen or silver medallist Donna Vekic for a spot in the semi-finals. Sabalenka defeated Zheng in their Australian Open final showdown earlier this year, but her record against Vekic is less favorable, with Vekic having won six of their eight encounters.

In other notable action, Paula Badosa advanced to the quarter-finals with a straightforward 6-1, 6-2 win over China’s Wang Yafan. Badosa will now face Emma Navarro, who made headlines by ending Coco Gauff's title defense with a dramatic three-set victory.

As the tournament progresses, Sabalenka’s quest for a maiden US Open title continues, with the Belarusian looking to build on her impressive form and previous successes. The quarter-finals are set to be a thrilling stage, with Sabalenka’s potential opponents bringing their own challenges and opportunities for the determined player.