Rybakina and Gauff complete a US Open semi-final line-up with Zverev and Tiafoe still standing

Elena Rybakina and Coco Gauff joined Aryna Sabalenka and Jessica Pegula in the women’s semi-finals, while Alexander Zverev, Karen Khachanov, Frances Tiafoe and Ben Shelton completed a compelling men’s last four.

Elena Rybakina and Coco Gauff came through the last two women’s quarter-finals on Wednesday, leaving a semi-final line-up that also includes Aryna Sabalenka and Jessica Pegula. The men’s draw has its own all-American meeting, with Frances Tiafoe facing Ben Shelton, while top seed Alexander Zverev takes on Karen Khachanov. Rybakina finishes the job against Zheng Rybakina recovered from losing the first set to Qinwen Zheng to win 3-6, 6-1, 6-4. The second seed will meet Gauff in the semi-finals after the fourth seed beat fifth seed Mirra Andreeva 6-2, 6-7(7-9), 6-2. Those two matches carried very different rhythms. Zheng took the opening set, but Rybakina levelled emphatically and then won the deciding set. Gauff had to absorb an 80-minute second set before closing out the third. The official Thursday order of play puts Sabalenka against Pegula first on Arthur Ashe at 7:00 pm New York time, which is midnight in Britain, with Gauff-Rybakina following. Zverev moves on as Blockx retires Zverev beat Botic van de Zandschulp 6-2, 7-5, 6-1 to keep the top seed’s run moving. Khachanov advanced when 28th seed Alexander Blockx retired with the score at 6-2, 7-5, 3-2; the official result records the match as a retirement rather than a completed straight-sets win. Zverev and Khachanov are scheduled to meet in Friday’s first men’s singles semi-final. The match is listed for not before 3:00 pm New York time (8:00 pm UK time) on Arthur Ashe. Two American quarter-finals become one semi-final Tiafoe survived Alex Michelsen 5-7, 3-6, 7-5, 6-3, 7-6(10-6) in a 4-hour 39-minute quarter-final. Shelton then beat second seed Carlos Alcaraz 6-7(5-7), 6-1, 6-3, 1-6, 7-6(10-7). Their semi-final is the Friday night match on Ashe, listed for 7:00 pm New York time (midnight UK time). Skupski and Salisbury stay in the doubles race Neal Skupski and Christian Harrison beat fourth seeds Simone Bolelli and Andrea Vavassori 6-3, 6-2. Skupski will face his fellow Briton Henry Patten in the semi-finals after Patten and Harri Heliovaara beat Guido Andreozzi and Manuel Guinard 6-7(1-7), 7-6(7-1), 6-2. Patten-Heliovaara against Harrison-Skupski is the later men’s doubles semi-final on Thursday at Louis Armstrong. It follows Krawietz-Puetz against Ram-Salisbury, which is not before 4:00 pm New York time (9:00 pm UK time). The first match on that court is listed for 11:00 am New York time (4:00 pm UK time), so no earlier start should be inferred for the later tie. In the women’s doubles, top seeds Katerina Siniakova and Taylor Townsend beat Cristina Bucsa and Nicole Melichar-Martinez 6-0, 7-6(7-4). Ashlyn Krueger and Robin Montgomery completed the other semi-final win over Gabriela Dabrowski and Luisa Stefani, 4-6, 6-4, 7-6(7-4), setting up Friday’s final.