'I play to win': Sabalenka reaches another US Open quarterfinal

Aryna Sabalenka looked every bit the World No. 1 Sunday night, defeating Spain’s Cristina Bucsa 6-1, 6-4 in 1 hour and 13 minutes in the fourth round of the US Open.

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Originally scheduled for early evening, the match began just over three hours later than anticipated, setting up an impromptu night session at Louis Armstrong Stadium. Fans who stayed were rewarded with a dominant performance from Sabalenka, who controlled the match from start to finish.

With the win, Sabalenka advanced to her fifth consecutive quarterfinal in New York, continuing her streak of deep runs in Flushing Meadows.

“I’m not playing not to lose; I play to win,” Sabalenka said after the match. “I don’t care about what happened last year. I mean, of course it’s a big achievement, and I’m super happy I was able to achieve it once, but the goal is to do it many more times.”

She then reiterated her mantra from earlier in the tournament: “My mentality is to go out there every time, bring the best fighting spirit, and just fight for my dream.”

That fighting spirit was evident from the start, as Sabalenka flashed a sharp slice forehand in the opening game en route to an early lead. After Bucsa held to level the first set at 1-1, Sabalenka reeled off five straight games to claim the set in just 27 minutes.

The second set was more competitive; with both players trading holds through the first four games. But Sabalenka found another gear, winning four of the final six games to seal the victory.

Bucsa fought to the end, saving four break points in an 11-minute service game to narrow the gap to 4-3. She pushed Sabalenka to deuce in the following game, but the Belarusian held firm to close out the match.

Sabalenka did not face a single break point on the night.

Next up is a quarterfinal showdown against Marketa Vondrousova.

Sabalenka owns a 5-3 career record against Vondrousova, and won their most recent meeting in Cincinnati just a few weeks ago in straight sets.

Another win against Vondrousova would send Sabalenka to a fifth straight US Open semifinal.