By Janina Nuno Rios
NEW YORK (Reuters) -Revenge will be at the forefront of Jessica Pegula's mind when she takes on Aryna Sabalenka in the U.S. Open semi-finals on Thursday in a rematch of last year's final, while Naomi Osaka faces Amanda Anisimova for a place in the title decider.
World number one Sabalenka advanced via walkover after Marketa Vondrousova withdrew injured and is aiming to reach her sixth consecutive hardcourt Grand Slam final.
The Belarusian has made the semis at all four majors this
season but has yet to win a title, losing in the Melbourne Park and French Open finals, and to Anisimova in the last four at Wimbledon.
Pegula arrives in peak form. Her 6–3 6–3 win over Barbora Krejcikova made her the first American woman since Serena Williams (2011–14) to reach back-to-back U.S. Open semi-finals without dropping a set.
The Buffalo native has not faced a top-50 opponent in the tournament so far but now gets the sternest test possible against Sabalenka, who denied her a first Grand Slam title in last year's Flushing Meadows final.
"I think it would be cool to get revenge, obviously," Pegula told reporters.
"Last year I walked off court thinking about everything I could have done better, but now I see how incredible that run really was. I'm playing the best player in the world, and that's exciting."
Sabalenka holds a 7–2 lead in their head-to-head record and has won their last three meetings on North American hard courts.
American Anisimova has already savoured revenge at the tournament by stunning second seed Iga Swiatek 6–4 6–3 on Wednesday, a win that comes two months after suffering a double-bagel loss to the Pole in the Wimbledon final.
Backed by a buzzing home crowd, the 24-year-old has underlined her return to top form after taking a mental health break last year.
"To lose 6-0 6-0 in a Grand Slam final was a lot to experience," Anisimova said. "I'm just really proud of myself.
"I feel like I really made a point to myself and maybe to other people that if you really put on a positive mindset ... you can have a positive outcome."
Standing in her way of a second straight major final is Japan's Osaka.
The four-times Grand Slam champion is steadily rebuilding her ranking and confidence, booking her fifth major semi-final with a 6-4 7-6(3) win over 11th seed Karolina Muchova, a year after the Czech beat her in the second round.
"I'm just really grateful to be here," Osaka said after reaching her first Grand Slam semi-final since 2021.
"I was sitting up there watching (in 2023) hoping I would have the opportunity to play on this court again, so my dream is coming true."
Osaka has shown flashes of the form that carried her to U.S. Open titles in 2018 and 2020, highlighted by her first top-10 victory of the season against third seed Coco Gauff in the fourth round.
Osaka will be chasing her first win over Anisimova, who beat her in both of their previous meetings in 2022 at the Australian Open and Roland Garros.
U.S. OPEN ORDER OF PLAY ON THURSDAY (prefix number denotes seeding)
ARTHUR ASHE STADIUM (2300 GMT/1900 PM ET)
1-Aryna Sabalenka (Belarus) v 4-Jessica Pegula (U.S.)
23-Naomi Osaka (Japan) v 8-Amanda Anisimova (U.S.)
(Reporting by Janina Nuno Rios in New York; Editing by Peter Rutherford)
