09/09/26 01:14:00
Printable Page
09/09 13:12 CDT Elena Rybakina beats Zheng to reach US Open semifinals and move
to No. 1 in the women's rankings
Elena Rybakina beats Zheng to reach US Open semifinals and move to No. 1 in the
women's rankings
By BRIAN MAHONEY
AP Sports Writer
NEW YORK (AP) --- Elena Rybakina is headed to the U.S. Open semifinals and to
the top of the women's tennis rankings.
Rybakina edged Zheng Qinwen 3-6, 6-1, 6-4 on Wednesday, guaranteeing she will
become No. 1 in the WTA rankings.
The Australian Open champion will face No. 4 Coco Gauff or No. 5 Mirra Andreeva
on Thursday. Top-ranked Aryna Sabalenka faces No. 3 Jessica Pegula in the other
semifinal.
But no matter what happens in the remaining matches, Rybakina will end
Sabalenka's 99-week stay at No. 1 when the new rankings are released Monday.
"It's just a number right now and of course I'm in the semis and my goal is to
win the tournament," Rybakina said.
Zheng, the 2024 Olympic gold medalist from China, had to come through the
qualifying tournament just to make the main draw after elbow surgery dropped
her down the rankings to her current place of No. 121. Once ranked No. 4, she
is guaranteed to move back into the top 60.
She made a dramatic run to the quarterfinals, erasing a 5-0 deficit in the
third set against Madison Keys in the third round and then climbing out of
another 5-0 hole in the first set in her fourth-round victory over No. 8-seed
Iga Swiatek.
But a double-fault gave her opponent a 5-4 lead in the third set and Rybakina
served it out to reach the U.S. Open semifinals for the first time.
___
See AP's full tennis coverage here
|
