Sabalenka seals hard court Slam sweep
Twelve months ago, Sabalenka won the Australian Open title and was then beaten in the championship match in New York.
This year the world No 2 successfully defended her title in Melbourne, and – having backed her pre-tournament – we still expect her to finally win her first US Open crown.
The former world No 1 has dropped just one set on her way to the last eight and is on a nine-match win streak following her Cincinnati Open run a few weeks ago.
Sabalenka’s path is not easy – starting with a quarter-final against Zheng Qinwen – but she has not dropped a set to the Chinese previously.
The Belarusian is the form player on tour in recent weeks and should be able to hold that momentum.
Zverev reaches second final
Zverev was the runner-up at the US Open in 2020, and at the French Open just a few months ago.
And while we are not predicting him to ultimately break his Grand Slam duck, a third Grand Slam final looks more than possible.
Of course, it will not be easy for the fourth seed; he faces Taylor Fritz, who beat him at Wimbledon, in Tuesday’s quarter-final, before a semi-final against Frances Tiafoe or Grigor Dimitrov.
But the conditions in New York suit the German greatly and he has been in solid form all year – it will be a difficult task to stop him.
Swiatek to stumble in trick path
Swiatek’s hard court pedigree has been unfairly maligned in recent weeks, with some clearly forgetting she is a former US Open champion, alongside being the reigning Indian Wells and WTA Finals champion.
