Tiafoe and Sabalenka Advance to US Open Semifinals after Five-Set Battles
Frances Tiafoe rallied from two sets down to beat Alex Michelsen, while Aryna Sabalenka edged Linda Noskova in three sets, setting up semifinal matches at the US Open.
Frances Tiafoe overcame a two-set deficit to defeat fellow American Alex Michelsen 5-7, 3-6, 7-5, 6-3, 7-6 (10-6) in a five-set quarterfinal at Arthur Ashe Stadium. Tiafoe said the match was "tough" and praised Michelsen's play, adding that he will watch the upcoming semifinal between Ben Shelton and Carlos Alcaraz. He will face the winner of that match on Thursday.
World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka survived a three-set contest with No. 6 seed Linda Noskova, winning 7-6(1), 3-6, 7-6(7) to stay alive in her bid for a third consecutive US Open title. Sabalenka will meet an American opponent—either Jessica Pegula or Emma Navarro—in the semifinals.
Other quarterfinal results included Karen Khachanov defeating American learner Tien in five sets, Coco Gauff beating Iva Jovic 6-1, 6-4 to reach her first US Open quarterfinal since 2023, and Naomi Osaka losing to Elena Rybakina 6-1, 6-4. Qinwen Zheng also advanced after a comeback win over Iga Swiateka, setting up a quarterfinal against the winner of Rybakina and Osaka.