Aryna Sabalenka sensed that everything was unravelling.

Her U.S. Open title defence and her prolonged dominance atop the women’s tennis rankings were on the verge of evaporating.

Sabalenka, however, demonstrated that she would not relinquish any of it without a formidable struggle.

Sabalenka kept her aspirations for a third consecutive U.S. Open title alive by narrowly overcoming Linda Noskova 7-6 (1), 3-6, 7-6 (10-7) on Tuesday in a gripping quarterfinal clash between major champions.

"What a contest. What an extraordinary player she is, and I'm utterly lost for words right now because I was pushing myself to the limit in that match, especially in the deciding set," Sabalenka said.

"I honestly thought that was it, that the match was over, and perhaps that's what helped me to, I suppose, feel relaxed and just go for my shots."

Sabalenka sealed the match with a second-serve ace, fending off the Wimbledon champion to secure her place in the semifinals at Flushing Meadows for the sixth consecutive year.

Sabalenka, who required a victory to preserve any chance of retaining the world No. 1 ranking, will meet either third-seeded Jessica Pegula or 26th-seeded Emma Navarro in Thursday's semifinal.

Defending champion Carlos Alcaraz is set to face eighth seed Ben Shelton in one of Tuesday's men's quarterfinals, while eleventh seed Frances Tiafoe takes on fellow American Alex Michelsen in the other.

Noskova, the sixth seed, secured her first Grand Slam title at the All England Club and came close to becoming the first woman since Serena Williams in 2016 to win on grass and then reach the semifinals on the hard courts of New York.

Sabalenka was at risk of her earliest U.S. Open exit since her second-round loss in 2020 when Noskova broke serve in the third set to lead 4-2.

Sabalenka held, then produced one of her best games, breaking back at love to make it 4-4.

"I sensed at a certain point in the third set that she was clearly serving better than me and putting a lot of pressure on me," Sabalenka said.

"But I'm glad I managed to push that thought aside and focus on each point, trying to build something bigger in that moment."

“I wasn’t fortunate, but I’m pleased with how I managed to break her serve at 3-4.

I believe I maintained an exceptionally high level of intensity in my tennis, and that instilled in me tremendous confidence that I could still secure the victory in this match.”

She managed to do so, thereby averting her first defeat at the U.S. Open since Coco Gauff had bested her in the 2023 final.

Noskova recorded 46 winners to Sabalenka’s 42, alongside 18 aces against her opponent’s 12.

Both competitors demonstrated the capacity to conclude rallies swiftly, while Sabalenka additionally exhibited remarkable agility in retrieving drop shots.

Sabalenka arrived at the U.S. Open having shown a clear drop from her usual level on hard courts, as she had been eliminated in the fourth round in both Toronto and Cincinnati, a result she also suffered at Wimbledon.

However, she had recovered in New York, reaching the quarterfinals without losing a set.

At one point, she seemed to be visibly struggling to keep her composure, changing rackets during the third set in an attempt to regain her touch.

She fell behind 2-0 in the match tiebreaker but took control for good when Noskova double-faulted to make it 4-3, and Sabalenka then won the next two points to secure some crucial breathing room.

“Being a break down in the third set, it’s not very easy.

Also having a brief interruption at the start of the tiebreak in the third one, as well, it’s frustrating, obviously,” Noskova said.

Yet simultaneously, Aryna delivered the finest tennis she was capable of in those critical moments, which scarcely facilitated matters for me.

Sabalenka will lose the No. 1 ranking she has held for 99 consecutive weeks if No. 2 Elena Rybakina beats Zheng Qinwen on Wednesday to reach the semifinals.

If Rybakina loses, Sabalenka can keep her hold on it by winning the title.

Noskova concluded her campaign at the U.S. Open with her finest performance of the tournament.

Prior to defeating fellow Czech Karolina Muchova to claim the Wimbledon title, she had advanced to just one major quarterfinal, at the 2024 Australian Open.

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