New York (AFP) – Elena Rybakina is one win away from the world number one ranking, but the Kazakh star says her main goal in her US Open quarter-final clash with Zheng Qinwen on Wednesday is to advance toward a third Grand Slam title.
“Number one ranking is, of course, one of the goals,” Rybakina says. “But I think the main focus for me is to win the titles, and then the ranking will follow up.” Rybakina arrived at Flushing Meadows as one of four women with a chance to supplant Aryna Sabalenka atop the rankings, and the only one with her fate in her own hands. Reaching the semis will send her to the summit for the first time, and she could even get there if she loses — if Sabalenka, world number three Jessica Pegula, and fourth-ranked Coco Gauff all fail to lift the trophy.
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Rybakina, who has shown no sign of the foot injury that hindered her US Open preparations, will be out to halt the remarkable run of Zheng — the Paris Olympics gold medallist who had to come through qualifying thanks to a rankings plunge in the wake of elbow surgery last year. Gauff, in the quarters for the first time since she won the US Open title in 2023, will take on fifth-seeded French Open champion Mirra Andreeva for a place in the semis while men’s top seed Alexander Zverev faces Dutch veteran Botic van de Zandschulp. Alexander Blockx tries to further his dream US Open debut taking on Russian Karen Khachanov.
AFP Sport looks at Wednesday’s action at the US Open:
**Elena Rybakina (KAZ x2) v Zheng Qinwen (CHN)**
Rybakina leads head-to-head 4-1 — Rybakina’s four victories over Zheng include two this year, but the former world number one from China is finally on a roll. Counting qualifying, Zheng has racked up seven wins in Flushing Meadows, including a dramatic come-from-behind victory over Madison Keys in which she saved a match point as she rallied from 5-0 down in the third set to win with a closing run of seven straight games. She followed with another seven-game surge to salvage the first set in a straight-sets victory over six-time Grand Slam champion Iga Swiatek.
“She definitely found her form,” Rybakina said. “I feel like she’s playing now with a lot of confidence after so many wins in a row, so she’s very dangerous.”
**Coco Gauff (USA x4) v Mirra Andreeva (RUS x5)**
Gauff leads head-to-head 5-0 — Gauff has won all five meetings with the fifth-seeded French Open champion, including a victory on the way to the 2023 US Open title and, most recently, a win in the quarter-finals in Rome. That was before Andreeva broke through for her first Grand Slam title at Roland Garros, and Gauff believes that triumph means she’ll be facing a new Andreeva.
“She’s obviously in a different mindset now at the top of the game coming off of a Grand Slam win,” Gauff said. “I expect her to approach the match completely differently. I think it’s going to be a really athletic, tough match. Hopefully, I can take my opportunities when I get them.”
**Alexander Zverev (GER x1) v Botic van de Zandschulp (NED)**
First meeting — World number two Zverev knows the 70th-ranked van de Zandschulp is a tricky proposition on the US Open hard courts, where the Dutch player stunned then world number three Carlos Alcaraz in the second round two years ago.
“I think he’s an impressive player,” Zverev said. “I think this might be his favorite tournament in the world … Obviously, he knows how to play well on these courts.” Zverev himself was slow to fire in Flushing Meadows, laboring through two five-setters to start the tournament before straightforward wins over seeded players Alejandro Tabilo and Luciano Darderi. “I think after 10 hours on court, I just maybe found my rhythm a little bit better, which is helpful because the first two matches were really not great level,” said Zverev, who claimed a long-awaited maiden Grand Slam at Roland Garros.
**Karen Khachanov (RUS) v Alexander Blockx (BEL x28)**
First meeting — It’s a race for fitness for 21-year-old Blockx, who nearly retired from his fourth-round win over Francisco Cerundolo because of a painful rib injury. With the help of mid-match medication, he soldiered on, saving 14 of 17 break points he faced and striking 36 winners.
“I don’t know,” he said. “Right now at the moment it feels good. I’ve had some treatment, some medication, so hopefully it stays that way and gets even better tomorrow and (for the) upcoming match. We’ll see.” Khachanov will have experience on his side. The Russian, who reached the US Open semi-finals in 2022, booked his seventh major quarter-final with a five-set win over 20-year-old American Learner Tien.
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