On the courts of Flushing Meadows, where pressure has a way of revealing character, Coco Gauff turned a near-defeat into a testament to mental fortitude, saving two match points to overcome Mirra Andreeva and reach the US Open semi-finals. Across the draw, Elena Rybakina's clinical victory over Zheng Qinwen carried her not only into the final four but to the summit of world tennis — a first for any Kazakhstani player. The stage is now set for a semi-final collision between resilience and ascendancy, with all four top seeds advancing together for the first time in nearly two decades.