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Aryna Sabalenka has achieved one ambition already at the US Open, and now she has the chance to fulfil another dream.<\/p>\n
Belarusian Sabalenka, the second seed, found out she will become world number one for the first time next week after Iga Swiatek\u2019s defeat by Jelena Ostapenko on Sunday.<\/p>\n
The 25-year-old then moved into the quarter-finals at Flushing Meadows after a 6-1 6-3 victory over Daria Kasatkina.<\/p>\n
\u201cI had no doubt that Iga was going to make it to the final. I was sad that she lost, but becoming number one means a lot to me,\u201d said Sabalenka.<\/p>\n
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\u201cI\u2019ve been pushing myself a lot this year to make this goal and I still can\u2019t believe it, but I didn\u2019t want to be distracted for tonight.\u201d<\/p>\n
Swiatek\u2019s defeat also means there will be a new women\u2019s champion this year, with Sabalenka the hot favourite.<\/p>\n
She will face China\u2019s Qinwen Zheng, who ended the hopes of last year\u2019s runner-up Ons Jabeur, in the last eight.<\/p>\n
Wimbledon champion Marketa Vondrousova moved a step closer to back-to-back grand slam titles by beating Peyton Stearns.<\/p>\n
The 24-year-old Czech, seeded ninth here two months after becoming the first unseeded woman to win at SW19, fell a set behind to Stearns.<\/p>\n
But the American youngster, whose powerful forehand accounted for Britain\u2019s Katie Boulter in round three, won just five more games as Vondrousova triumphed 6-7 (3) 6-3 6-2.<\/p>\n
\u201cShe was playing great from the beginning and I just tried to stay in the game,\u201d said Vondrousova.<\/p>\n
\u201cShe is a very dangerous player, she has a great future ahead of her and it was a very tough match.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m very happy. I didn\u2019t expect this, after Wimbledon there was a lot of pressure but I\u2019m feeling good and we\u2019ll see what happens next.\u201d<\/p>\n
What happens next is a meeting with Madison Keys, a former Flushing Meadows runner-up who sprung a mild surprise against fellow American Jessica Pegula, the third seed.<\/p>\n
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Keys, seeded 17, is emulating the form which swept her to the final in 2017 and sunk the highly-fancied Pegula 6-1 6-3.<\/p>\n
The 28-year-old said: \u201cIt\u2019s always tough having to play a friend but we\u2019ve been doing it all our lives. On court it\u2019s all business but then we go back to being friends.\u201d<\/p>\n