Sabalenka eyes third straight US Open crown in semi-final clash

NEW YORK — Aryna Sabalenka will look to keep her back-to-back US Open title defence on track when she meets familiar rival Jessica Pegula in Thursday's semi-final clash. A victory for the Belarusian would put her within reach of an unprecedented third consecutive crown at Flushing Meadows.

In the other last-four encounter, Kazakhstan's Elena Rybakina will battle Coco Gauff, the American seeded fourth and playing before her home crowd in New York. The two semi-finals pit four of the tournament's top seeds against one another, setting up high-quality contests on both sides of the draw.

Sabalenka and Pegula have previously met multiple times on the professional circuit, making their semi-final encounter a clash between experienced rivals who know each other's games well. The reigning champion remains the favourite to advance, though Pegula will be seeking to upset the seeding and reach her first US Open final.

Gauff's participation in the semi-finals provides American tennis with a strong presence in the championship's final stages. Her match against Rybakina will determine which player claims a spot in the final and a chance at the coveted title.