Sabalenka advances to US Open fourth round after win amid proposal

Aryna Sabalenka, the world number one and defending U.S. Open champion, advanced to the fourth round after a straight-sets victory over Leylah Fernandez on Friday night at Louis Armstrong Stadium in New York, a match that was briefly interrupted by a marriage proposal in the stands. Sabalenka beat the former finalist 6-3, 7-6 and kept her title defense on course while also managing the unusual stadium moment with a smile.

The Belarusian, who said revenge from their 2021 semifinal meeting was on her mind, treated the win as evidence of growth. "It was a tough match back then. I just wanted to prove to myself that the lesson was learned and that I developed as a player," Sabalenka said after the match. Fernandez pushed the top seed with aggressive opening play, but Sabalenka steadied, breaking serve to take the first set and then closing a tense second-set tiebreak to seal victory in 1 hour 39 minutes, according to WTA match statistics.

The second-set tiebreak extended a remarkable run of clutch play for Sabalenka. Tournament records showed it was her 20th tiebreak victory of the season in 21 attempts and her 18th consecutive tiebreak win, a streak cited by WTA officials as...