US Open: Pliskova beats Azarenka to set up Sabalenka clash in quarters

Karolina Pliskova defeated Victoria Azarenka 7-5, 6-7 (5), 6-2 to move into the US Open quarter-finals for the fifth time in the last seven years

Karolina Pliskova, US Open 2022 ; AI / Reuters . Panoramic

Tennis Majors

September 6, 2022

Czech Karolina Pliskova, the No 22 seed who reached the US Open final in 2016, has returned to the quarter-finals for the second year running after a hard-fought three set win over another former world No 1, Victoria Azarenka, on Monday.

Pliskova battled past two-time Grand Slam winner Victoria Azarenka 7-5, 6-7 (5), 6-2 in three hours and two minutes to reach the last eight at Flushing Meadows for the fifth time in the last seven years.

This was the third time in four matches this week that Pliskova has been taken to three sets. She had beaten Pole Magda Linette (6-2, 4-6, 7-6 (8)), Marie Bouzkova (6-3, 6-2) and Swiss Belinda Bencic, the No 13 seed (5-7, 6-4, 6-3) in the previous rounds.

🇨🇿 Karolina Pliskova is into back-to-back quarterfinals in New York!@KaPliskova | #USOpen pic.twitter.com/z2cV4ICYNh
— US Open Tennis (@usopen) September 5, 2022

The Czech woman, now ranked No 22 in the world, will play sixth seed Aryna Sabalenka next. The Belarusian defeated American Danielle Collins 3-6, 6-3, 6-2 in another fourth round clash.

The two have met on four occasions with both players winning twice each. Pliskova has won their last two encounters, which included their semi-final clash at Wimbledon last year.