4/09/2025

SPORTS THURSDAY | SEP 4, 2025

29

‘Almost perfect’ Carlos rolls on

Pegula rides roller-coaster year into last four AMERICAN Jessica Pegula rode her roller coaster season to reach a second straight US Open semifinal with a clinical 6-3, 6-3 win over twice Grand Slam champion Barbora Krejcikova yesterday. Fourth-ranked Pegula had a dreadful run-up to the year’s final major but has flipped the script and found another gear in New York to set up a last four showdown with world No. 1 and defending champion Aryna Sabalenka. “I just surprised myself,” said Pegula, who exited early from Cincinnati, Montreal and Washington, and had despaired over her form during practice in the days leading up to the singles main draw. “I’ll always back myself and figure things out in the end instead of kind of spiraling and letting it go too far.” Her run to the Flushing Meadows semifinal would have gone a long way towards boosting her confidence considering she suffered a first round exit at Wimbledon three days after beating Iga Swiatek in the Bad Homburg final. “It was kind of back to the drawing board,” said Pegula, who has reached the last four without dropping a set. “The goal was to simplify things and to get me back playing my game.” Pegula will face Sabalenka after Marketa Vondrousova, the 2023 Wimbledon champion, withdrew before the quarterfinal due to a knee injury. There’s history to process against Sabalenka. “It would be cool to be able to get revenge,” Pegula admitted, reflecting on last year’s final. “This year I’ve come back with a different perspective… enjoy the crowd a little bit more and enjoy the fact that I’m in this position again to possibly be in another final and I’m playing the best player in the world.” – Reuters Sabalenka feels for Vondrousova after shock withdrawal ARYNA SABALENKA was sad to see her would-be quarterfinal opponent bow out of the US Open before their match yesterday. Marketa Vondrousova withdrew from the Grand Slam with a knee injury that she did not want to exacerbate further. Sabalenka, the defending women’s singles champion, took to social media to pen an emotional note to Vondrousova. “So sorry for Marketa after all she’s been through,”Sabalenka wrote on her Instagram Story after the news broke that their match at Arthur Ashe Stadium would not be taking place. “She has been playing amazing tennis and I know how badly this must hurt for her. Take care of yourself and I hope you can recover quickly. Love Aryna.” The 26-year-old Vondrousova came into the tournament unseeded and won three straight matches – losing just one set in a third-round win over No. 9 Elena Rybakina – to set up a battle with Sabalenka. In a statement to the US Open, Vondrousova explained that she consulted with the tournament’s doctor and decided not to push her knee issue further. “I tried my best to take the court today but during the warm-up I felt again my knee and after consultation with the tournament doctor decided not to risk aggravating the injury. “I appreciate all the support this tournament and apologise to the fans who were looking forward to the match.” – Reuters

CARLOS ALCARAZ said he almost hit perfection as he continued his relentless march at the US Open yesterday with a 6-4, 6-2, 6-4 win over Jiri Lehecka in the quarterfinals. Alcaraz is yet to lose a set at the tournament in his quest for a sixth Grand Slam title. He won his first major at the US Open in 2022 as a teenager. “I just played a really – or almost perfect match,” said Alcaraz, who has won 35 of his last 36 matches since the start of the Italian Open in May. “It seems like, OK, just two more steps to do, and let’s see what happens. But yeah, I’m just feeling great and hungry to make it.” Lehecka was bidding to reach his first

Alcaraz, who again celebrated his win with an imaginary golf swing, said he would squeeze in another round on the course in the two days off before his semifinal against Novak Djokovic tomorrow. “It’s something that’s working well so why should I change that routine,” said Alcaraz. “Every day off I go and try to play some golf.” But he will find himself in the less familiar role of apprentice when he tees off with former Masters champion Sergio Garcia, who was in the stands at Arthur Ashe Stadium to watch his compatriot. “He has to give me at least between 10 and 15 shots,” Alcaraz said. “It’s going to be great. I’m not that good, Sergio, come on.” – AFP

semifinal at a major but accepted he was no match yesterday for Alcaraz. “I kind of met the Grand Slam version of Carlos,” Lehecka said. “He just showed that he is one of the contenders, for sure. Everyone knew that, and he proved that.” Alcaraz can reclaim the world No. 1 ranking from Jannik Sinner with another triumph in New York. “It’s really difficult not to think about it,” said the 22-year-old. “Every time I step onto the court I try not to think about it. “If I think about the number one spot too much, I think I’m going to put pressure on myself and I don’t want to do that.”

Recovery time Grinding Djokovic hopes body holds up for Alcaraz US Open clash N OVAK DJOKOVIC said he is hopeful he will be fit enough to put up a proper fight against Carlos Alcaraz after setting up a titanic US Open

Slam but first at Flushing Meadows. Djokovic has won all three past meetings on hard courts. “Here we are. I have another chance, another shot. Hopefully, as I said, I can be fit enough and play well enough to keep up with Carlos,” said Djokovic. “Normally I like to play the big matches on a big stage. “It’s just that I’m, you know, not really sure how the body is going to feel in the next few days. “I don’t feel very fresh at the moment, but hopefully in two days it will be different.” Djokovic’s win over Fritz saw him improve to 16-0 against American opponents at the US Open as he reached the last four of a major for the 53rd time. He also drew level with Jimmy Connors for the most US Open semifinal appearances. “It was an incredibly close match. It was really anybody’s match,” said Djokovic. “I thought I was really lucky to save some crucial break points in the second set. I think for most of the second and third sets he was the better player.” “It’s one of those days where you just have to grind,” he added. “You just have to play with your heart and fight. That’s what really gave me the win in the end.” Fritz saved two match points in a tight fourth set before sealing his own fate with a double fault. Djokovic has now won all 11 matches he’s played against Fritz, who was left to rue con verting just two of 13 break points. “I had so many more chances that you’re not going to see on the stat line,” lamented Fritz, last year’s US Open runner-up. Fritz’s loss ended hopes of a first American Grand Slam men’s singles champion since 2003. “The thing that’s frustrating is I don’t need to play that much better to make it happen, because I had all the chances I had playing how I was playing,” he said. “At the end of the day, that’s one of the things that makes, like, the great players great. They win the big points.” – AFP did her valiant display in the three-set defeat to 11th seed Karolina Muchova. In the women’s doubles, she wore a mesh layered kit with an embellished trim and, later, a dress reportedly custom-designed from high fashion brand Pucci . Earlier this year, she brought the tennis and fashion worlds together when she became the first to wear Lacoste on the red carpet at the iconic Met Gala. “It doesn’t matter what that is, as long as you feel good in it. So I got to do that,”said Williams.“If it was fashionable, thank you for that.” – Reuters

semifinal with the Spaniard. The 38-year-old Serbian star kept his bid for a record 25th Grand Slam on track with a four set win over fourth seed Taylor Fritz yesterday. Djokovic’s 6-3, 7-5, 3-6, 6-4 victory over the last American left in the men’s draw sent him into a record-equalling 14th US Open semifi nal. He will now have two precious days of recovery time to prepare for a

Novak Djokovic in action during the US Open. – REUTERSPIC

h i g h l y - anticipated tussle with the red hot Alcaraz tomorrow. “It’s not

going to get easier. I tell you that,” said Djokovic. “The next couple of days

is really key for me to really get my body in shape and ready to battle five sets if it’s needed. “I just would really love that. Would love to be fit enough to play and to play, you know, potentially five sets with Carlos. “I know that my best ten nis is going to be required, but I’d rise to the occasion.” Djokovic and Alcaraz will square off for the first time since the Australian Open quarterfinals in January when the Serbian won in four sets to take a 5-3 edge in their rivalry. The upcoming encounter is their fifth at a Grand

Venus exits in style after age-defying run at the Big Apple VENUS WILLIAMS exited the US Open in good fashion yesterday, putting up a solid effort in her women’s doubles quarterfinal defeat after taking the headlines back once again for her style and substance on the court. quarter-century after she and sister Serena changed tennis’ fashion game, a testament to her enduring influence.

“For me what you wear is just a reflection of who you are and being able to express myself on the court,” said Williams, who lost with Canadian partner Leylah Fernandez to Australian Open winners Katerina Siniakova and Taylor Townsend 6-1, 6-2 yesterday. “It’s a lot of fun when you wear something you feel good in.” She wore a pleated-and-collared, all-white kit for her singles first-round match, a nod to trailblazer Althea Gibson, that earned raves – as

The 45-year-old made an age-defying return to tennis this year, becoming the oldest WTA singles match winner since 2004 in July, and her matches in the women’s singles, doubles and mixed doubles made her appointment viewing across Flushing Meadows. A breathless account of her on-court fashions followed, from Vogue to InStyle , more than a