Emma Navarro vs. Aryna Sabalenka Full Match | 2024 US Open Semifinal

ready no matter the match or the opponent play 15 second serve of Navaro May and returns in play for Navaro the two biggest stats to night for the American has got to defend her second serve and has got to figure out a way to get a lot of returns in play that's what she said to Pam TR twice right before this match began in the tunnel she said I've got to push back against it [Music] [Applause] 13 last match Sabo team watched her just totally dismantle the Olympic gold medalist Jun chin went 14 shot for shot stroke for stroke does anyone hit as hard as this woman no one has that all in every shot mentality second serve returns rally shot it doesn't matter bigger the point the bigger she goes an Ace and a double fult first pretty easy hold there for arena savena power give me a second on that one there that coming with the heat early on here you know what I mean well I was a power player so I'm going to take a little offense to that but certainly there is something to enjoy with the style that Emma plays she's got more shots she's been taught from every inch of the Court the different spins different angles we got two of those types of players tonight in Navaro and kolina moova it is great to see the different styles competing against each other we we might even see some serving volleys May in the second one Hova I again Amer played a terrific hardcore summmer Jessica Pula and on this court tomorrow night two more American men Francis TFO and Taylor Fritz last night we saw eish fante out here against Jessica vagula and be a little frazzled May what was that all about yeah what 41 arrrow yeah 41 errors to 12 winners and for our world number one I'd never seen a stat sheet that out of whack from her Nar would love a little bit of that help tonight 304 subala leads F against to love for S Reena saena speaks about how when she was growing up in belus she said my coaches were terrible she said I was big and strong and they thought I was stupid and they just told me to hit everything hard hit harder harder it's only as an adult that she's learned how to [Applause] justs and with that came massively improved Fitness in the last three seasons or so always been a huge hitter but she used to try and hit big from the wrong positions being stretched out now she gets down so well she gets out of the corner so well 82 mph second serve and Navaro recognize it right away first big hand for charlson's Emma Navaro yeah first winner for Navaro and something look where she's standing not a lot of players challenge the sabalenka second serve that close because you just don't know what you're going to get she can hit second serves at 100 that last one at 80 but you always want to try and rattle a server that has had service woses you got to get into their heads somehow and that is one way to do it cuz that's what can happen 15 I remember a couple years ago when she got so flustered with her serve that she took to serving underhand at times she biomechanically took it down to its studs and rebuilt it this that predatory return position of em narz 15 seems to be working it's so hard to play that way mer I mean the last seconds are 102 and yet Navaro went after it tried to in her words fight against it yes push back push back yeah yeah let's for 30 [Applause] for third ace against those two double FS the break pretty much she broke herself s Lan back in Ser back on serve in this opening set semi-finals Navaro is first [Applause] felt like such a big game that third game didn't play the service game that she would have wanted to start this first set but what a great job of rebounding to get a break back zalanka is she's up three love She's Off to the Races but Navaro able to make a dent in that last return game this 30 and it's so easy to get intimidated by sabalenka and how she plays the game where she stands sometimes how loud she is love to see that Emma is just focused right now on her game [Applause] [Music] [Applause] 41 oh 4 [Applause] for and was long time coach Peter SS in the White Cap what a thoughtful you told me about him but then I got a while ago May yeah exactly you've known him a while I just met him how solid he is how tful he is the things he's been imparted on Emma for almost 10 years now it's great to see player coach relationship with the long-term Vision even from when she was a junior how are we going to get better what kind of shots can we develop letting her go to college spent two years at the University of Virginia but he was in constant touch with the coaches there mind usopen.org anything you want to know about this tournament go there [Music] love unusual to see sabalenka stressed she has look like this for the first five rounds let's first ser [Applause] [Music] [Applause] 59 that shoulder injury that cost sabalan a part of the summer is long gone 305 that's a challenge for Navaro she likes to have her Court positioning closer to the Baseline so the more she gets pushed back the more she has to remember to get some lift she's not used to having to hit ground strokes 5T behind the Baseline 4 [Music] go 43 [Applause] game beautiful place 110 mph serve that got sabalenka out of trouble sabalenka leads by three games to two for set love the the [Applause] [Applause] couple of backhands have gone into the net and that's one of the things that Navaro just cannot afford to do tonight so tough trying to control the pace but she can't give away too many of those errors love 14 pretty well placed serve too look how sabalenka just reached over and handled it favorite coach Peter S who Emma a middleweight and you're asked to play heavyweights be Sanka who are stronger bigger faster how do you tilt the playing field so that you can play into your strengths and don't get exploited by the things that you can't control look how long your arms and legs are game sabalenka sabalenka leads by 4 to [Applause] [Applause] for she gives herself room that's a shot she's worked the hardest on to improve and to get it to be a bigger weapon also team Naro also knows to make this jump into stay in the top 10 she has to have a way to finish point so a lot of work going into beforehand how do you finish points with that shot looking for it more looking to run around the backand more 15 home [Applause] 15 13 great anticipation from Navaro doing what she could to get the return back into play not a bad play from sabil Lanka but great defense of that backhand corner by Navaro [Applause] that's such a good angle and that's about the only part of the court that Navaro wouldn't have been able to get to Lind uh incredible shot making from both players and exceptional scrambling from Nar even state in this rally a half volley angle winner was not what we had predicted from that one that was a big Point too oh man got a second serve the so deep in the court sabalenka could feel that so trying to go to the sides and just came up on that angle a little soon [Applause] watch [Applause] just that's Emma's dad behind Peter S she said she's learned so much from Ben novaro from the time she was a little kid had to work hard how to commit so well measured Advantage [Music] Savala sabalenka at plus three Mary she is playing exceptional tennis Navaro playing well and doing everything she can to extend these rallies but when saval Lanka is not making the errors it's so tough to keep up with her game sabala new B 52 sabala leads by five games to two for set 13 errors I mean 13 winners I should say s this was number 13 this is the great Court coverage of Navaro trying to stay alive in this rally earlier in the game oh yes this is really this is good this is good stuff look at how much Court Naro was covering and there's that crazy anger for the winner the cheers right now inside of Asher for the great Billy Jean King a huge Ovation earlier tonight Maria Sharapova said of Billy Jean every time I with her I'm with her she's trying to do everything right she's got six winners against eight unforced errors Sab got 13 winners and nine on first this big babe tennis just got right now I'm not sure anyone could be challenging sabalan with the level she's showing tonight she looked a little anxious in the beginning of this didn't she but now she's so hungry for the ball savan love cting [Applause] second serve we knew was going to be a problem for [Music] Navaro 15 1 [Applause] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] 1 she needs not only first serves but she needs good first serves stay in the set [Applause] 43 game first a for Nar saen leads by five games to three first sets still a big hold there from Navaro from Love 30m is stay in this first set [Applause] 15 l jumped on that 76 [Music] [Applause] I mean who goes 106 98 sorry second serve 305 in the side pocket yeah missed the first serve 106 but just doesn't hold back no and and she knows Navaro has moved her Court positioning in so she'll just keep going bigger yeah okay I'm going to say it again and you could push back yourself power robs tennis of its complexities it's not it's not a dis she needed that one to crawl over instead set points for [Applause] sabalenka game and first set second set see na to 23-year-old American can B bounce back please be ready for play thank you second set 15 [Applause] L 3 l unable to hold the first service game in the first set this would be a different story if able to get on the board get a first lead [Applause] first game second set [Applause] 15 l [Applause] 13 it's Peter and EM a city partner Henry there looking on have to be hoping that se gets a little rattled or something right now 30 for 10 [Applause] good all again look how close in Navaro is does not give her a lot of time to react and sabalenka is not used to that hard to Rob sabalenka of time huh 14 1 take that second serve away and it's so hard she loves to go hard wide most players that is not their goto if they are going wide a lot of times they just kind of arm it over there sabalenka fully committed to hitting a three quarter first serve as a second serve [Music] expensive she knows it one game Old Second she hasn't had many shots truly where she's inside the court on her front foot and it came as a little bit of a surprise [Applause] there it's just so hard to get ahead of this one in the points right 15 l [Applause] 15 em anything you'd want to see Emma do differently how do you stay with sa Lenka right holding would be nice Sanka was near perfect against jessicaa in that final in Cincinnati again even even faster Court there and just play perfectly what S is doing is playing she's she's using power and pressure sometimes Power Players don't put pressure 30 oh get something short you got to take that chance that opportunity as n did there types of points you got to steal right now for 14 13 come on Emma [Applause] got it nav leads by two games to won the second set first play with didn't she what Navara showed us in that last game is what Peter SS wants naar to play though 15 11 to have variation the ability to hit your spots your fast ball becomes faster because you got other pitches that you could work off of by the way Emma did not know that baseball pitcher just a little just little bit 4 love hold and she splits the balls right back to the American two game so second set [Applause] Elizabeth Banks is in the [Applause] house L this is right where Navaro has got to just stay steady on her service games just got to hope you get a look on one of the return games but you cannot give this one away love 13 got [Applause] 15 [Applause] 13 big proud tonight Mar here I just haven't had tons to get behind yet with Navaro sink has done a nice job of keeping them pretty silent 13 yesterday Lindsay she she said I know I'm playing an American but can somebody can you please cheer for me too I think she offered them all a drink she did drinks drinks from her and there were couple of thousand people at the time it was generous let for Serv drinks aren't cheap here may no it's the melons that make him pricey according to Ted Robinson that combo platter of winners and forced errors we saw that stat a couple of points too and for sers this one's a cold harded 86 mph winner but Force errors are much closer to Winners than unforced errors game s for Emma Novar saena leads by three games to two second set and by one Satan that woman right there 23-year-old American Emma Nar is going to try to figure out a way to stop this love [Applause] [Applause] 15 all [Applause] 30 fitting [Applause] out 450 this Saban's ninth Grand Slam semi yeah compare that to just the first one for and keep in mind sabil Lanka has won some as well she also won some Finals game SAA S Plus pressure heavy weight againsta leads by four games to two second set coming up next another American Jessica Pula taking on kolina mova of the Czech Republic thank you that's stay Ina in her first love slam semi-final couple years ago mova got to the finals of the French Open before IG shant took that title new territory for Pula as well she's got a better chance coming in most people thought that Pula and sabalenka were the favorites to win their semi-finals but never want to underestimate Naro for M [Music] holda 153 [Applause] [Applause] 15 14 all of the Power just seems a little too much for [Applause] Navaro 34 [Applause] oh just [Applause] [Music] you're trying to help her Advantage nav [Applause] oh a placement has been there also for Sav tonight and Navaro can handle a lot of power but as you mentioned earlier May the power and the Precision so close to the Baseline it's just so tough to fight off point after point Advantage n what noisest place with make if can hold [Applause] [Applause] G new B please subena leads by four games of three second set and by one set a 15 l tried to get her there with a mix of pce a slice and then a drive and Seena did not miss that one by [Applause] much 1 15 that's her seventh ace against three double fults 30 there it was in the semi-finals last year s banka was down 6053 to Madison Keys completed that comeback with a couple of tie breaks in the second and third set completely different situation here can Naro be the one that fights back 143 [Music] [Applause] game sabalenka it's three1 for sabalenka sabalenka leads by five games to three second set remember when sabalenka Linds used to play in those matches and she'd get flustered and she'd just she'd just play pants on fire that's one way to say it yes she does that less and less I've noticed yeah 15 l [Applause] 31 [Applause] some errors F9 again there 23 and half thousand people will make themselves heard they to borrow holes was that a terrible 88 is probably sitting there for Sabal Lanka and especially when she guesses right yeah 88 M an hour sered 89 but Navaro holds and holds on saala leades by five games to four second set and by one SATA [Applause] love the attend [Applause] you mentioned how many Arena saena has taken at the US Open alone how much she wants to prove that she can carry this tournament to the finish line 15 13 go 154 she's broken sabalenka [Applause] once she do it right here 13 14 five gamees so seconds out go go [Applause] LS for ser Mar's got the crowd what difference can they make [Applause] now that is those were the statistics wow what we were seeing last night lul and fante that's five games worth of errors [Applause] [Music] 11 of the last 14 points turn this match completely around in this second [Applause] set 14 15 angry return winner [Applause] game for the first time in this semifinal Emma Navaro has a lead naar six games to five second set first set saena please thank you 15 love [Applause] 31 [Applause] [Applause] [Music] 14 nice response from sabalenka in this game [Music] [Applause] important to for Emma to keep finding that mix with being aggressive and getting a lot of shots back into play oh two double fault number four [Applause] mayor sabalenka took some Pace off that backhand approach did not want to make another unforced error and because of that Navaro had plenty of time to catch up to this backhand to make the [Applause] pass now the American has two points from the set [Applause] coming up with her eighth [Applause] Ace thank [Music] you let's [Music] oh please [Applause] game saen six games s second set Ty Ro [Applause] [Music] [Applause] yes one Z Naro just simply wasn't getting those types of points in the first set and a half [Music] [Applause] [Applause] 2 please thank thank you the slice just fell Way Too Short from Navaro that either has to be low Mary or deep Navaro that point might just settle savena back down [Applause] oh two on [Applause] ah good saal Lanka just kept gaining the court three straight points for the [Music] Russi both points on the Navaro serve [Music] [Applause] 4 to saala five straight points in this tie break 52 saena everything turned on that third Point you're right you called it this first ball a double fault that's where you've got to pounce and Navaro isn't quite able to do that Saban able to settle down in a matter of seconds 6 2 [Music] savena a fist full of match points for arena savena set match by 6276 the heavyweight beats the middleweight second set got complicated got a little interesting right lyce yeah Naro two points away from winning that set at 65