US OPEN: Aryna Sabalenka Ease Into the Semi-finals with victory over Zheng Qinwen

After hammering Daria Kasatkina 6-1, 6-3 on Wednesday, Aryna Sabalenka followed that up with a clinically clean 6-0, 6-4 quarterfinal victory over Zheng Qinwen of China. It was over in 73 minutes.

The world No.2 seed served brilliantly, winning 37 of 46 points and not facing a single break point. The 20-year-old Zheng, at least initially, looked overwhelmed in her first major quarterfinal.

“I think I definitely played great tennis today,” Sabalenka said in her on-court interview. “Super happy with the performance. I have myself another opportunity to do better in the semis.”

Sabalenka has now won the first seven major quarterfinals of her career, second on the all-time list; she’s 3-0 at the US Open. Chris Evert, almost unbelievably, won her first 48 Grand Slam singles quarters.

Into her fifth consecutive berth in a major semifinal, Sabalenka will play the winner of the later match between No.9 Marketa Vondrousova and No.17 Madison Keys on Thursday night.

This is Sabalenka’s third straight year in the US Open semifinals; she lost to Leylah Fernandez in 2021 and Iga Swiatek in 2022.

Sabalenka is edging toward some remarkable history. The last woman to reach all four major semifinals in a single year was Serena Williams in 2016. Sabalenka owns a record of 22-2 at this year’s Grand Slams. Coming in, Sabalenka’s highest major win total for a year was 15, in 2021. Since the turn of the century, only three players have won more major matches in a calendar year — Serena Williams (three times), Justine Henin (twice) and Jennifer Capriati.