Tennis player Sabalenka defeats Bucsa, advancing to the US Open's last eight.

Defending champion Aryna Sabalenka has reached the quarter-finals of the U.S. Open, following her victory over unseeded Spaniard Cristina Bucsa. The match ended with a score of 6-1 6-4 in favour of Sabalenka.

Sabalenka, who is currently ranked as the world number one, started the match strongly, winning the first set in just 27 minutes with a powerful overhead smash at the net. However, the second set proved to be a more challenging affair for the Belarusian.

Despite some difficulties, Sabalenka managed to win the second set without dropping her serve. She used a thunderous forehand winner to break Bucsa in the fifth game of the second set, and Bucsa held serve to make the score 3-4 in the second set after a game lasting more than 10 minutes.

Sabalenka expressed pride in her achievement of reaching the quarter-finals of the U.S. Open, but also expressed some frustration after the game due to not being able to break Bucsa's serve when she was close.

Sabalenka believes that her hard work, recovery, and enjoying her journey and life are key to her success. She attributes her success to balancing on-court and off-court life, and this approach has paid off as she has now reached at least the quarter-finals in the last 12 Grand Slams she has competed in.

Sabalenka's quarter-final match will determine her potential opponent in the semi-finals of the U.S. Open. She will await the winner of the encounter between Elena Rybakina and Marketa Vondrousova.

If Sabalenka manages to win the U.S. Open, she could make history by becoming the first woman since Serena Williams (2012-14) to win consecutive U.S. Open titles. However, Sabalenka has previously lost in the finals of the Australian and French Open this year, so she will be keen to make amends for those losses in New York.

Regardless, Sabalenka is clearly a force to be reckoned with on the tennis court, and she will be a formidable opponent for whoever she faces in the quarter-finals.