Drinks are on me! Sabalenka’s new way to get crowd support

Emma Navarro and Aryna Sabalenka celebrates her win over Zheng Qinwen in New York on Tuesday. Pic/AFP

World No. 2 Aryna Sabalenka demolished Olympic gold medallist Zheng Qinwen to reach a fourth successive US Open semi-final on Tuesday.

Australian Open champion Sabalenka, runner-up to Coco Gauff in New York last year, triumphed 6-1, 6-2 and will take on Emma Navarro of the United States for a place in the final. It will be a ninth career semi-final at the Slams for the 26-year-old from Belarus.

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"The drinks are on me if you cheer for me," Sabalenka told the Arthur Ashe Stadium crowd in an effort to drum up backing for the semi-final against the New York-born Navarro. "She's a really good player. We had two battles, they were really close."

The 13th-seeded Navarro reached her maiden Slam semi-final on Tuesday with a straight-sets victory over Paula Badosa of Spain 6-2, 7-5. Sabalenka and Navarro are 1-1 in their head-to-head meetings with both clashes coming this season.

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