NEW YORK :Aryna Sabalenka evened the score with Leylah Fernandez at the U.S. Open with a 6-3 7-6(2) win on Friday to keep alive her hopes of becoming the first player since Serena Williams to win consecutive titles at Flushing Meadows.

The world number one had unfinished business with the Canadian, who stunned Sabalenka in straight sets in the 2021 semi-finals en route to her runners-up finish in their only previous meeting.

There would be no repeat of that shock on Friday, with Sabalenka overcoming early jitters on Louis Armstrong Stadium, surviving a marathon opening game that featured three break points before finding her rhythm.

Fernandez refused to go quietly and forced a second-set tiebreak before the Belarusian's power prevailed.

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