Aryna Sabalenka broke Taylor Townsend seven times in a roller-coaster win to send the top seed into the quarter-finals of the US Open for a sixth consecutive edition on Sunday.
The world No. 1 is fighting to hold onto her top WTA ranking and needs to continue fending off Elena Rybakina, Jessica Pegula and Coco Gauff at the last Grand Slam of the season.
Sabalenka completed her fourth straight-sets victory so far here with a 6-4, 6-3 win in 75 minutes over her American opponent for her 18th straight match win at the venue.
The match was entirely unpredictable in the opening stages, with two-time defending champion Sabalenka finally pulling her game together in the fifth game of the second set as she broke the 96th-ranked Townsend to love after dropping her own serve the game before.
Sabalenka capitalised by sweeping the net four games to escape into the quarter-finals despite her inconsistent start on her second match point in her concluding break of the American.
“I love matches like that, because it was really challenging, going through tough challenges and overcoming those challenges,” the winner said.
“It definitely gives you strength and a really strong belief that you can do it. These kinds of matches are really, really, really like a boost of confidence.”
The top seed with four trophies at the majors is aiming to become the first player to win three consecutive titles here since Serena Williams 2012-2014.
“She was returning really well. She saw where I’m going. She was blocking really well. I guess playing doubles and mixed doubles really helped her to react on, like, heavy serve.
“It’s been a while since I played with the roof closed, so I feel like we both were struggling a little bit to see the ball.
“It was a really challenging beginning, and I had to adjust my serve, the speed, the spin, bring the variety into my service games just so I keep her guessing. It was a tricky start of the match, for sure.
“I’m just focusing on myself. I’m just trying to bring my best tennis every time I’m competing out there and basically fight for it.”
Wimbledon winner Linda Noskova fought off a challenge from two-time Grand Slam semi-finalist Marta Kostyuk, requiring six match points over two sets to move through to the last eight here and a match with Sabalenka.
The Czech looked in control leading a set and 5-3 before Ukrainian Kostyuk saved a pair of match points in the 10th game of the second set and made a match of it in the third before Noskova regained late control to move through.
“It was such a tight battle, a tough match, she’s a hell of a competitor.match,” Noskova said of Kostyuk.
“I knew it would be tough from beginning to end.
“The match points were nerve-wracking. I could have played some of them differently but that is history now.”
Noskova will be competing in her first New York quarter-final when she takes on Sabalenka, who beat her in the Indian Wells semi-finals in March.
“I need to recover, get prepared and look for some solutions.”
