US Open: Sabalenka will defend the title against Anisimova, who stopped Osaka

(AFP) Belarus' Aryna Sabalenka will defend her US Open title in Saturday's final against American Amanda Anisimova, who halted the resurrection of Japan's Naomi Osaka.

Sabalenka, ranked No. 1 in women's tennis, will have a chance to avenge her loss to Anisimova in the Wimbledon semifinals in July.

Eager to end the year with a Grand Slam title, the Belarusian prevailed in a tense semifinal against American Jessica Pegula on Thursday.

The clash was a rematch of last year's final in New York and this time Sabalenka went through much more trouble to defeat the home player 4-6, 6-3, 6-4.

Pegula, swept last year in two sets, took the lead this time with the first set pushed by the 23,000 fans on Centre Court.

After a furious reaction from Sabalenka in the second set, Pegula had four break balls to level the score in the third.

Unlike other fateful nights in New York, such as her 2023 final loss to Coco Gauff, Sabalenka handled the pressure masterfully and rebuffed break opportunities with high-precision strokes.

"I don't know how I did it. I was just praying internally and hoping for the best," Sabalenka said afterward.

"I had to work really hard to get this win. She played unbelievable tennis as always," acknowledged the Belarusian, who celebrated with a resounding roar as she converted her third match ball.

Sabalenka, 27, has failed this year to extend her haul of three Grand Slam titles. She previously fell in the finals of the Australian Open and Roland Garros and in the semifinals at Wimbledon.

"I desperately wanted to give myself another chance, another final," she told reporters.

"I want to prove to myself that I learned those hard lessons and that I can do better in finals," stressed Sabalenka, who is also vying to become the first to repeat trophy since Serena Williams' three in a row between 2012 and 2014.

Second consecutive final for Anisimova

The second semifinal brought a higher dose of drama with Anisimova's 6-7 (4/7), 7-6 (7/3), 6-3 win over Osaka after nearly three hours of play.

Minutes before 1 a.m., the crowd was able to celebrate the presence of a local representative in Saturday's final.

Anisimova, ranked ninth in the world, will have a second chance to be crowned Grand Slam champion just 53 days after being embarrassed by Iga Swiatek in the Wimbledon final by a double 6-0.

"This tournament is so important to me, it's been a dream since forever," Anisimova said of the U.S. Open, where she had always fallen before the round of 16.

At 24, Anisimova has exploded this season on the circuit after taking time out of tennis in 2023 for problems linked to mental health.

Against Osaka, another tennis player who halted her career due to periods of depression, she fought a thrilling pulse-pounder with high-quality tennis and numerous script twists, with a total of 11 breaks.

After losing the first set in a nervous start, Anisimova imposed the power of her forehand with the confidence that gave her the revenge taken the day before against Swiatek.

Osaka, 27, failed to cap her best Grand Slam performance since her last Australian Open title in 2021.

The former world number one, who was a finalist at the WTA 1000 in Canada in August, is playing her best tennis since taking up the racquet again in early 2024 after her maternity leave.

"Honestly, I don't feel sad," she told reporters. "I feel like I did the best I could. It's an inspiring thing for me, because it makes me want to train and try to get better. I can't be upset with myself."