Coco Gauff produced a remarkable comeback under pressure to defeat Mirra Andreeva and book her place in the US Open semi-finals, where she will face incoming world number one Elena Rybakina.
The fourth-seeded American recovered from a disastrous opening set and saved two match points in a dramatic second-set tie-break before taking control of the decider to secure a 2-6, 7-6 (9-7), 6-2 victory.
The win sends the two-time Grand Slam champion into her second consecutive major semi-final and her first at Flushing Meadows since she lifted the US Open trophy in 2023.
Gauff struggled badly at the start, winning only five of the opening 21 points as Andreeva raced through the first set in just 26 minutes.
The American continued to look vulnerable in the second set, twice surrendering breaks after establishing leads at 4-2 and 5-3. But she held her nerve when it mattered most, edging a tense 16-point tie-break to level the match.
A double fault early in the tie-break threatened to compound her problems, but Gauff recovered to save two match points and force a deciding set.
With the home crowd firmly behind her, the 22-year-old seized control in the final set, while Andreeva's composure began to unravel.
The Russian produced 14 unforced errors in the deciding set, compared with just two from Gauff, and even threw her racquet in frustration after surrendering the first break of serve.
Gauff said the comeback victory of fellow American Frances Tiafoe had helped inspire her response after a difficult opening set.
"At the end of the first set I was thinking about Frances and how he came back yesterday," Gauff said.
"We all want to do well in front of this crowd. Honestly, I was just trying to leave the court with no regrets."
Former British number one Annabel Croft praised Gauff's ability to turn the match around after her poor start.
"You have to admire how Coco does this. She's done it so many times in her career," Croft said on BBC Radio 5 Live.
"She's unrecognisable from the player at the start of this match. She was subdued and playing defensive tennis. By the end, she was completely controlling the match.
"We've been blessed with the amount of intriguing matches we've had. You're seeing these warriors out on court.
"It's the ability of one of the gladiators to get themselves back in it."
Despite her victory, Gauff's statistics highlighted the difficulty of her performance. She struck 22 winners but committed 42 unforced errors, including 12 double faults.
Her ability to remain composed during the decisive moments, however, proved crucial as she took advantage of Andreeva's struggles to complete one of the tournament's most dramatic comebacks.
Rybakina Books Semi-Final Spot
Standing between Gauff and another US Open final is Rybakina, who also had to recover from a difficult start to overcome Zheng Qinwen 3-6, 6-1, 6-4.
The second seed lost a set for the first time at this year's tournament and was also forced to fight off a break point in the deciding set before eventually advancing.
Rybakina's place in the last four also guarantees that she will become the world's number one player for the first time in her career.
The 27-year-old arrived in New York just 434 ranking points behind defending world number one Aryna Sabalenka and needed only to reach the semi-finals to guarantee the top spot.
Her rise will make her the first Kazakhstani player, male or female, to reach number one in the world rankings.
Rybakina is now two victories away from adding another Grand Slam title to the Australian Open crown she won in January.
The semi-final will also continue an impressive tournament for Gauff, who is seeking another major title after her breakthrough triumph in New York two years ago.
The American's progress means the top four seeds have all reached the women's singles semi-finals at a Grand Slam for the first time since Wimbledon in 2009. Top seed Sabalenka and third seed Jessica Pegula had already secured their places in the last four.
Zheng's Revival Ends in Quarter-Finals
Although Rybakina's rise to the top of the rankings is set to dominate attention, Zheng's run to the quarter-finals represented a significant achievement after a difficult period.
The reigning Olympic champion had fallen outside the world's top 100 after undergoing elbow surgery in July 2025.
Ranked 121st at the start of the tournament, Zheng fought through three qualifying rounds before reaching the US Open main draw and securing her first Grand Slam main-draw victory since the 2024 French Open.
She then produced major upsets against 22nd seed Madison Keys and eighth seed Iga Swiatek to reach the quarter-finals.
Her victory over Keys was particularly dramatic. Zheng trailed 5-0 in the deciding set, saved a match point and completed an extraordinary comeback.
Her run in New York has lifted her to 52nd in the live rankings, while she has only 65 ranking points to defend for the remainder of the season.
But her defeat by Rybakina will leave Zheng reflecting on missed opportunities.
After taking the opening set, she fought off five break points to hold a crucial service game and establish a 1-0 lead. Rybakina, however, responded emphatically in the second set, putting Zheng's second serve under sustained pressure.
The Chinese star had an opportunity to regain momentum in the deciding set when she earned a break point in the eighth game but missed a routine backhand passing shot.
In the following game, she recovered from 0-40 to reach deuce, only to hit a loose backhand and then double-fault as Rybakina closed in on victory.
For Gauff, the dramatic recovery against Andreeva keeps alive her hopes of another title on home soil. For Rybakina, the victory confirms her arrival at the summit of women's tennis and sets up a high-profile semi-final between two of the sport's leading young stars.