Jessica Pegula defeated Emma Navarro and advanced to the US Open semifinals, Aryna Sabalenka will face her

Seeded number three, Jessica Pegula defeated Emma Navarro 3-6, 6-4, 6-3 in the American quarterfinals and advanced to the US Open semi-finals for the third time in a row. As in the previous two editions, if she dreams of the title she must defeat Aryna Sabalenka.

Pegula: It was very hard

The match, which lasted almost two and a half hours, was very even.

This success means a lot to me. It was very, very difficult, both sportingly and physically due to the humidity - said the 32-year-old tennis player from Buffalo after her fifth career victory over Navarro, 27th in the world ranking, against whom she had never lost.

I didn't play my best tennis, my serve was failing and I had to fight many demons on the court - admitted Pegula, who committed as many as five double service faults in the first set and had a first serve efficiency of 47%. It was only from the middle of the second game that she found the right rhythm and started dictating the terms.

Pegula will face Sabalenka

Now Sabalenka will stand in Pegula's way. The American lost to the current leader of the WTA list in the final two years ago, and in the semi-final a year ago in three sets.

Earlier on Tuesday, the Belarusian defeated Czech Wimbledon champion Linda Noskova (No. 6) 7-6 (7-1), 3-6, 7-6 (10-7) and is one step away from her third final in a row at Flushing Meadows. The last player to achieve this feat was Serena Williams from 2012-14, when she won three times.

Sabalenka and Noskova created a great spectacle that lasted two hours and 22 minutes, which is one minute longer than the American women's clash. In the third set, the Czech was already leading 4:2, but poor service performance in the eighth game, in which she did not score even a point, allowed the favorite to get back into the game.

In the super tie-break, the Belarusian built a slight advantage from 3-3 when she won three balls in a row. Noskova was close (6-7), but was unable to reverse the fate of the decisive game. Sabalenka ended the match with an ace on her second serve.

Sabalenka: Linda is amazing

What a fight it was! Linda is amazing. I'm speechless after this match because I gave absolutely everything - especially in the third set. At some point I thought it was over, that the match was over, but I guess that helped me, I don't know, find more freedom and just hit every ball bravely, Sabalenka reported.

The 28-year-old from Minsk is also fighting to maintain her position as the leader of the ranking, but it is not only up to her. If Yelena Rybakina, representing Kazakhstan, wins in Wednesday's quarterfinal against China's Qinwen Zheng, who eliminated Iga Świątek in the 1/8 finals, she will become the new number one regardless of other results.

Women's singles quarterfinal match results:

Tuesday

Aryna Sabalenka (Belarus, 1) - Linda Noskova (Czech Republic, 6) 7:6 (7-1), 3:6, 7:6 (10-7)

Jessica Pegula (USA, 3) - Emma Navarro (USA, 26) 3:6, 6:4, 6:3

Wednesday

Elena Rybakina (Kazakhstan, 2) - Qinwen Zheng (China)

Coco Gauff (USA, 4) - Mirra Andreeva (Russia, 5)

Semi-final pairs: