US OPEN: Aryna Sabalenka Comes from the brink of defeat to reach first final 

Aryna Sabalenka was forced to come back from the brink of defeat before reaching her first final in New York City, overcoming No.17 seed Madison Keys 0-6, 7-6(1), 7-6[10-5] in their late-night semifinal clash on Arthur Ashe Stadium.

On Monday, the No.2 seed will make her debut at World No.1. Two days before that, she will play in her first US Open final.

“It was a really incredible match,” Sabalenka said afterwards. “[Keys] played unbelievable tennis. And I’m really proud of myself that I was able to turn around this game and get this win, because it was just incredible.

“I [kept] reminding myself that I lost a lot of tough matches,” said Sabalenka, who improved to 2-5 in Grand Slam semifinals. “One day all those matches should just, like, help me somehow.

“This kind of thinking helped me to stay in the game and give me some hope that I’ll be able to turn around this match, that the match is not over until the last point, and that I just have to keep fighting, keep trying to find my rhythm, my game, just find myself. Magically I finally found the game, and I was able to turn around this match and to get this win.”

Sabalenka continues a breakthrough season at the majors with her second Slam final this year. Sabalenka, who will officially rise to the top of the rankings after the US Open, is also the first player to reach the semifinals of all four Grand Slam events in a single year since Serena Williams in 2016.

The early-morning victory marks Sabalenka’s 50th match-win of the year. It is the first time in her career that Sabalenka has hit that number of tour-level wins in a single season.