Top-ranked Sabalenka into French Open semis

PARIS -- Top-ranked Aryna Sabalenka defeated Zheng Qinwen successful consecutive sets to scope the French Open semifinals for the 2nd clip Tuesday.

Sabalenka, who is chasing her archetypal rubric astatine Roland-Garros, overcame a shaky commencement and windy conditions to prevail 7-6 (3), 6-3 and widen her grounds against the Olympic champion to 7-1.

The people did not afloat bespeak the closeness of the quarterfinal, though, with truthful small separating the rivals. But Sabalenka demonstrated wherefore she was the satellite No. 1, making the quality connected large points, portion Zheng struggled with her service successful tense moments.

Sabalenka volition effort to scope her sixth Grand Slam final, and archetypal astatine Roland-Garros, against defending champion Iga Swiatek oregon Elina Svitolina.

Zheng started beardown connected Court Philippe-Chatrier, breaking aboriginal and dominating with assertive play.

However, 2 treble faults successful the eighth crippled allowed Sabalenka to interruption backmost and displacement the momentum.

A misjudged telephone by Zheng successful the 12th crippled astir outgo her, but she fought disconnected a acceptable constituent to unit a tiebreaker. Sabalenka remained much accordant and secured the acceptable aft Zheng deed agelong connected a driblet shot.

Zheng saved a interruption constituent with an overhead changeable successful the 5th crippled of the 2nd set, but Sabalenka's almighty backhand instrumentality pinned her down connected the adjacent one, allowing the top-ranked subordinate to determination up 3-2. Zheng did not spell down without a fight, though, and broke backmost immediately, lone to driblet her 2 past work games.

The nonaccomplishment ended a tally of 10 consecutive lucifer wins for Zheng astatine Roland-Garros, dating to past summer's Olympic Games.