US Open: Aryna Sabalenka beats Jessica Pegula in semi-final, inches closer to huge Serena Williams record

Aryna Sabalenka went one step closer towards successfully defending her US Open title by defeating Jessica Pegula 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 in Thursday night's semifinal match.Sabalenka, seeded No. 1, is now one win away from achieving a milestone last accomplished by Serena Williams, who won three consecutive titles at Flushing Meadows from 2012 to 2014.The championship match on Saturday will see Sabalenka face either No. 8 Amanda Anisimova or No. 23 Naomi Osaka.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!This semifinal proved more competitive than their previous encounter in last year's final, where Sabalenka claimed her third Grand Slam hard court title in straight sets.
"It was a really tough match -- she played incredible tennis as always and I had to work really hard to get this win," Sabalenka said afterwards. "Just super happy to be back in the final and hopefully I can go all the way again," she added.Sabalenka's 2023 Grand Slam journey includes finishing as runner-up to Madison Keys at the Australian Open and to Coco Gauff at the French Open. She also reached the Wimbledon semifinals before losing to Anisimova.The match concluded on Sabalenka's third match point, following two unsuccessful attempts. She celebrated the victory by leaning back, extending her arms, and letting out a scream.