US Open: Sabalenka drops only two games to set up power-packed showdown against Collins

Belarusian Aryna Sabalenka put in one of her best performances of the season as she dropped just two games to beat French qualifier Clara Burel and storm into the fourth round of the US Open in New York on Saturday.

Seeded No 6, Sabalenka won 6-0, 6-2 in one hour and eight minutes.

Her win sets up a fourth round clash with American Danielle Collins, who defeated Frenchwoman Alize Cornet in straight sets.

The Belarusian began the season ranked No 2 but has struggled with her serve and her confidence for much of the season. Sabalenka reached the semi-finals here in 2021 (his best major performance so fat with a Wimbledon semi-final the same year) and this is the third time in five main draw appearances that she has reached the last 16.

The Belarusian had beaten American qualifier Catherine Harrison (6-1, 6-3) and came from the brink to beat Estonian Kaia Kanepi (2-6, 7-6 (8), 6-4) earlier in the week.

US Open, New York City (Grand Slam), other third-round results

• Iga Swiatek (1) beat Lauren Davis: 6-3, 6-4
• Karolina Pliskova (22) beat Belinda Bencic (13): 5-7, 6-4, 6-3
• Victoria Azarenka (26) beat Petra Martic: 6-3, 6-0
• Jessica Pegula (8) beat Yue Yuan (Q): 6-2, 6-7 (6), 6-0
• Petra Kvitova (21) beat Garbine Muguruza (9): 5-7, 6-3, 7-6 (10)
• Caroline Garcia (17) beat Bianca Andreescu: 6-3, 6-2
• Ajla Tomljanovic beat Serena Williams: 7-5, 6-7 (4), 6-1
• Liudmila Samsonova beat Aleksandra Krunic: 6-3, 6-3
• Alison Riske-Amritraj (29) beat Xiyu Wang: 6-4, 3-6, 6-4
• Coco Gauff (12) beat Madison Keys (20): 6-2, 6-3
• Shuai Zhang beat Rebecca Marino: 6-2, 6-4
• Veronika Kudermetova (18) beat Dalma Galfi: 6-2, 6-0
• Ons Jabeur (5) beat Shelby Rogers (31): 4-6, 6-4, 6-3

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