Defending champions Aryna Sabalenka and Carlos Alcaraz are back to the quarterfinals at the U.S. Open, and they made it look easy.
asserted
it → defend → Open
The top-ranked Sabalenka solved some early struggles holding serve and overpowered Taylor Townsend 6-4, 6-3 on Sunday.
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Sabalenka → rank → Sunday
Alcaraz also advanced in straight sets, beating Tommy Paul 6-4, 6-3, 6-4 in the second match at Arthur Ashe Stadium.
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Alcaraz → advance → Stadium
“I’m happy with that performance,” Alcaraz said.
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Alcaraz → ’m → performance
“I played my game.
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I → play → game
I tried to play my style.
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I → try → style
Tommy’s such a talented player.
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Tommy → ’ → ?
His shots are pretty dangerous and it’s sometimes pretty difficult to control the ball when it comes to you, so I just tried to be ready.”
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I → ’ → you
Townsend broke Sabalenka three times in her first four service games as she looked to spring the upset.
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she → break → upset
Sabalenka found a groove, regained her confidence and did not lose another point after falling behind 3-1 in the second set.
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Sabalenka → find → set
“I love matches like that because it was really challenging,” Sabalenka said.
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Sabalenka → love → that
“Going through tough challenges and overcoming those challenges, it definitely gives you strength and really strong belief that you can do it.”
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you → go → it
This was the first meeting between Sabalenka and Townsend, who gave her opponent fits in the first set but struggled to find her own rhythm.
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who → give → rhythm
“This was the most comfortable and confident I’ve ever been playing against a No. 1 player in the world,” Townsend said.
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Townsend → play → world
“From the beginning, I felt like I belonged.
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I → feel → beginning
From the beginning, I felt like I was right where I needed to be.
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I → feel → beginning
I still feel that way.”
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I → feel → ?
Next up for Sabalenka is Wimbledon winner Linda Noskova, who needed six match points to get past Marta Kostyuk 7-5, 5-7, 6-4.
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who → need → Kostyuk
“I played a couple of matches against her in the past, which also wasn’t the easiest matches,” Sabalenka said of Noskova.
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Sabalenka → play → Noskova
You’ve got to stay really low to be able to handle that power and energy.”
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You → get → power
Alcaraz cruises into the quarterfinals
Playing his first tournament following a four-month absence because of a right wrist injury, Alcaraz said last week he would not be coming back if he could not play like his usual self.
uncertain
he → cruise → self
The 23-year-old Spaniard has made good on that so far, dropping just one set through four rounds.
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Spaniard → make → rounds
Alcaraz dictated play on the way to extending his Grand Slam winning streak to 18.
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Alcaraz → dictate → 18
When Paul was making things interesting in the third set, Alcaraz set up match point by hitting a shot so perfectly in bounds that it left actor Matthew McConaughey in disbelief, along with many others in the crowd.
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it → make → crowd
Asked if he thinks he is back to form, Alcaraz responded, “I think so.”
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I → ask → form
The U.S. Open is bringing that out in him.
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Open → bring → him
“I’m just trying to enjoy my time on the court,” Alcaraz said.
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Alcaraz → try → court
“It doesn’t matter that I was out four months and a half.
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I → matter → ?
Every time that I come here, I play my best.”
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I → come → best
Americans are making runs at the US Open
Townsend and Paul were among the 10 Americans to reach the men’s and women’s round of 16.
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Townsend → make → 16
That is the most in the fourth round at any Grand Slam in nearly a quarter-century, going back to the 2002 U.S. Open, when there were 11.
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That → go → Open
“American tennis has been on the up and up for many years now,” Townsend said.
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Townsend → say → years
“There have been a really consistent chunk of players — Jess, Coco — (who) have been at the top and inside the top five for the last, I don’t know how many years.
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I → know → years
Ben, Frances, Tommy, Taylor: It’s just such a great group of men, as well.”
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It → ’ → men
Tiafoe knocked off seventh-seeded Daniil Medvedev 7-6 (1), 6-4, 7-6 (6) to improve to 10-0 in his career at Louis Armstrong Stadium, which he called “the people’s court.”
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he → knock → which
Michelsen beat Tomas Martin Etcheverry 7-6 (6), 6-4, 6-4.
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Michelsen → beat → Etcheverry
Michelsen and Tiafoe will meet in the quarterfinals Tuesday, guaranteeing an American man in the semifinals.
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Michelsen → meet → semifinals
No U.S. men’s player has won a Grand Slam since Roddick in New York in ‘03.
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player → win → 03
Shelton and Navarro in prime time
Shelton, the No. 8 seed, faces Stefanos Tsitsipas on Sunday night of Labor Day weekend at Ashe, followed by fellow American Emma Navarro against Anna Kalinskaya.
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asserted
Shelton → face → Kalinskaya
The Aporia
