Sabalenka loses in US Open semifinal

Belarus’ world number two Aryna Sabalenka failed to advance to the US Open final losing to Canada’s world number 73 Leylah Fernandez 6-7 (3-7), 6-4, 4-6 in two and a half hours, BelTA has learned.

In the final the 19-year-old Canadian will face 18-year-old Emma Raducanu of the UK, who went through qualifying to reach the US Open main draw.

Aryna Sabalenka beat Serbia's world number 94 Nina Stojanovic, 6-4, 6-7(4), 6-0, in the opener. Then she cruised past Slovenia’s world number 40 Tamara Zidansek, 6-3, 6-1, and solved world number 29 Danielle Collins of the United States, 6-3, 6-3. The Belarusian stormed past her former doubles partner, world number 16 Elise Mertens of Belgium, 6-4, 6-1, in the round of Last 16. In the quarterfinal the Belarusian dispatched world number 9 Barbora Krejcikova of the Czech Republic in straight sets, 6-1, 6-4.

This season Aryna Sabalenka has already reached the Grand Slam semifinal. At Wimbledon she lost to Karolina Pliskova of the Czech Republic.

The US Open 2021 prize money is $57.5 million. Winners in the men’s and women’s singles events will earn $2.5 million each. The competitions will complete on 12 September. Dominic Thiem of Austria and Naomi Osaka of Japan were US Open champions last year.