|
American Collins came out firing to take the first set but the
tide turned in the second when sixth seed Sabalenka won a
marathon service game to lead 4-3.
Sabalenka rolled on from there, breaking Collins in the next
game and capturing the set with her fifth ace.
She broke again early in the deciding third set and raised her
arms in triumph when Collins' service return landed in the net
on match point.
Sabalenka, a semi-finalist at Flushing Meadows last year,
improved to 4-0 against 19th seed Collins.
"I just love the court, I love the crowd," she said at Arthur
Ashe Stadium.
"Even if you guys support her, which is expected, I love this
place and I want to play here as much as I can."
Sabalenka is battle tested going into the quarter-finals.
She clawed her way back from a set and 5-1 down against Kaia
Kanepi in the second round, saving two match points in the
process.
"When you come back from that kind of score you know that
nothing can hurt you," she said.
"You go into the next match and know that you will fight for it
no matter what."
Next up for Sabalenka is big-serving Czech Pliskova, who won a
gritty three-setter over Victoria Azarenka, also of Belarus,
earlier in the day.
Sabalenka and the tournament's 2016 finalist Pliskova have split
their four head-to-head meetings 2-2.
Sabalenka said maintaining her composure if the match is not
breaking her way will be key to victory.
"Right now I really expect great level from her," she added.
"It's going to be tough. It's a tough fight."
(Reporting by Rory Carroll in New York; Editing by Peter
Rutherford)
[© 2022 Thomson Reuters. All rights
reserved.]
This material may not be published,
broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Thompson Reuters is solely responsible for this content. |
|
