The streak continues: Aryna Sabalenka defeats Bucsa in US Open clash to reach quarterfinals

Aryna Sabalenka claimed another impressive victory, securing her spot in the US Open quarterfinals by defeating Spain's Cristina Bucsa 6-1, 6-4. The world No. 1 continues her quest for a 4th Grand Slam title and had no trouble eliminating the surprise Spaniard of the tournament.

The 3-time major champion reached a Grand Slam quarterfinal for the 12th consecutive time, having reached this round without interruption in all her main-draw appearances since the 2022 US Open. The Belarusian continues her campaign in search of a major title this year after losses in the finals of the Australian Open and Roland Garros, as well as a semifinal defeat at Wimbledon.

The first set began with both players holding their first service games, before Sabalenka took control of the match. The Belarusian went up 2-1 on her serve before getting the first break that gave her the lead. Not only that, but the Belarusian looked strong on her serve and broke her opponent's serve two consecutive times.

The 3-time major champion was unbeatable on her serve, with 59% of her first serves in and winning 77% of those points. The world No. 1 was much more aggressive than her opponent, with a total of 12 winners to Bucsa's 5. The Spaniard couldn't recover from an even start and watched her opponent take a comfortable 6-1 lead.

Things in the second set once again went in Sabalenka's favor from the start. After both players held their first service games, Sabalenka was the first to get a break in the 5th game, taking a 3-2 lead without issues.

The Belarusian remained in control—once again powered by good first serves. When the score was 4-2, she managed to put her opponent in trouble again. Bucsa managed to save four break points in the 7th game to stay in the match, but it didn't help much, as she couldn't find a solution to her opponent's effectiveness. Sabalenka didn't hesitate on serve and closed out the victory 6-1, 6-4 in just 1 hour and 14 minutes. In the second set, she won 86% of points on her first serve compared to Bucsa's 74%.

In the quarterfinals, Sabalenka will face the winner of the match between Wimbledon champions Elena Rybakina (9th seed) and Marketa Vondrousova—two players who have defeated Sabalenka before. The Belarusian continues her campaign for her 4th Grand Slam title and aims to hold on to her No. 1 ranking at the end of the tournament.