By Amy Tennery
NEW YORK (Reuters) – Set to face American Emma Navarro in front of the U.S. Open’s boisterous home fans, Aryna Sabalenka jokingly sought to peel off some of that partisan support by offering them a round of drinks if they cheered for her in Thursday’s semi-final.
Sabalenka has had an up-and-down relationship with the Flushing Meadows crowds over the years, calling them out for a lack of support during last year’s final against home favourite Coco Gauff before shedding tears at the trophy ceremony.
After her routine 6-1 6-2 win over China’s Zheng Qinwen on Tuesday, the Belarusian was asked in an on-court interview how she might get the home fans on her side against Navarro at Arthur Ashe Stadium.
“Drinks on me tonight?” said Sabalenka. “Drink on me and please give me some support in the next match,” she added, as the crowd clapped and cheered.
Sabalenka has reached at least the quarter-final stage of the last eight Grand Slams she has played in and is in the last four of the U.S. Open for the fourth year in a row.
Those deep runs have left her better equipped to handle the pressure at the business-end of the majors.
“Before, when you just coming up on tour, like for you making the second week, it’s something crazy, and you see stuff like crazy, and you put so much pressure on you about the Grand Slams, about the results and everything,” she said.
“Nowadays, I’m just trying to take things easier … I’m just trying to take it easy.”
(Reporting by Amy Tennery in New York; Editing by Peter Rutherford)
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