👋 Welcome back to The Daily Theory, our morning rundown to help you stay on top of your favorite sport. I’m Allen McDuffee, your guide to all things tennis.

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Let’s tennis!

Four Points

🎾 This is prime time: Aryna Sabalenka returned from an unplanned break in the quarterfinals to defeat Jessica Pegula in the semis, 4-6, 6-3, 6-4, in a stunning match for both players. Although both players had more winners than unforced errors, it was Sabalenka who blasted twice as many as Pegula, 43 to 21.

  • What she said: “It was a really tough match,” Sabalenka said during her on-court interview. “I had to work hard to get this win. She’s such a great player, such a great fighter. Hopefully, I can go all the way again. And thank you guys for bringing the best atmosphere.”
  • And what she said: “She came up with some ridiculous shots,” Pegula said in her post-match press conference. “Like, I didn’t feel like I did much wrong. So, yeah, it seemed like the level was really high, and we were pushing each other every single game.”
  • By the numbers: Pegula wasn’t wrong. Nearly half of Sabalenka’s total points won (43 out of 90) were winners, and she had only 27 unforced errors. On top of that, Pegula only lost four points on serve in the third set. The problem? They were all in the same game.

🎾 An Osaka-Anisimova classic: In a three-hour match that began with Amanda Anisimova and Naomi Osaka trading tiebreak sets, it was Anisimova who ended up the winner with a scoreline of 6-7, 7-6, 6-3. What may have made the difference is Osaka’s choice to play more conservative tennis — by her standards, anyway — which gave Anisimova space to play more bravely. In the end, it was Anisimova who collected 50 winners, compared to Osaka’s 32.

  • What she said: “I wasn’t sure I would make it past the finish line and I tried to dig deep,” Anisimova said. “I just tried to stay positive.” She added: “I could have easily said she’s playing better than me. I’ve shifted with my attitude.”
  • And what she said: “I don’t feel sad,” Osaka said. “It’s really weird. Well, it’s not weird, because I just feel like I did the best that I could. Honestly, it’s kind of inspiring for me, because it makes me just want to train and try to get better, and hopefully, yeah, just give it my very best shot again and see what happens. But I think I can’t be mad or upset at myself.”
  • Next: Anisimova faces Aryna Sabalenka in the final on Saturday.

🎾 Today’s matches: On this Friday, it’s a full day on Arthur Ashe Stadium starting at noon. The day kicks off with what should be a brilliant doubles match between Siniakova/Townsend vs. Dabrowski/Routliffe. These teams have faced off on big stages before, and they are serious battles.

  • Women’s doubles final: The day kicks off with what should be a brilliant doubles match between Siniakova/Townsend vs. Dabrowski/Routliffe. These teams have faced off on big stages before, and they are serious battles. Don’t miss it.
  • Men’s semifinal #1: Then, the midday match belongs to Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz. This might be the only match we see Alcaraz tested going into the final. He hasn’t dropped a set thus far, and there have been plenty of sets without more than a game lost.
  • Men’s semifinal #2: In prime time, we’ve got Jannik Sinner taking on Felix Auger-Aliassime. If Felix can manage to realize he has nothing to lose against the number one player in the world and just relax, there’s high potential for a fun match. But all signs point to a comfortable victory for Sinner, putting him in the final without us knowing his true level.

🎾 The written word: In his soon-to-be-released memoir Heartbeats, Bjorn Borg reveals he had been living with prostate cancer. He told the AP that the cancer is in remission following a life-saving surgery last year, but he knows there’s a chance for its return.

  • What he said: “There’s always a risk the cancer might spread, and that’s something I’ll have to live with for a while now. Every six months, I’ll go through the anxious wait to find out if we caught it in time,” Borg reportedly writes in the book. “The fear comes and goes. But that’s life, isn’t it? You never really know what’s coming. You just have to make the most of each day.”