Defending champion Sabalenka had not dropped a set before facing the Czech sixth seed, who fired 18 aces and saved seven of nine break points but faltered when leading by a break in the final set.
Sabalenka, aiming to match Chris Evert and Serena Williams in winning a third successive US title, next plays Jessica Pegula who triumphed 3-6 6-4 6-3 over Emma Navarro in all-American clash.
The Belarusian broke in the second game, whipping a forehand into the corner that Noskova did not even attempt to chase down, but the champion broke back with a pair of powerful groundstrokes from the baseline in the ninth.
Sabalenka sprinted through the opening set tie-break before a double fault gave Noskova a 4-2 lead in the second set. The defending champion screamed in frustration when a pair of double faults midway through the third helped her opponent secure another break.
Sabalenka recovered to level in the eighth game, however, and was in her element in the decisive tie-break, where she clinched it with a second serve ace.
"What a battle. What an incredible player she is and I'm speechless right now because I was pushing myself to the limit in this match, especially in the third set," Sabalenka said.
"I honestly thought that that's it, the match is over and probably that's what helped me to feel loose and just go after my shots."
Noskova finished with 46 winners to Sabalenka's 42, and she hit 18 aces to Sabalenka's 12. Both players were able to end points quickly, and Sabalenka also showed off some impressive speed in tracking down drop shots.
Sabalenka will lose the No. 1 ranking she has held for 99 consecutive weeks if No. 2 Elena Rybakina beats Zheng Qinwen on Wednesday to reach the semifinals. If Rybakina loses, Sabalenka can keep her hold on it by winning the title.
Pegula reached the semi-finals here for a third straight year after coming from a set down on Tuesday.
The 32-year-old will face Sabalenka in a rematch of the 2024 final after securing her fifth straight win over her compatriot, including a victory at last month's Cincinnati Open.
The clash, dubbed by American media as the "Battle of the Billionaires" because of their backgrounds, began more than an hour later than scheduled after Frances Tiafoe's marathon victory over Alex Michelsen in another all-American contest.
The wait did little to help either player find their rhythm, with the match instead marked by errors and few sustained bursts of momentum.
The 26th seed had the edge in a scrappy opening set as both players struggled to settle. They traded early breaks and each hit five double faults, with an extra break allowing Navarro to move one set ahead.
The miscues continued in the second, but Pegula found a slight improvement that allowed her to level the match, finishing a long exchange with a fine forehand winner to make it one set apiece.
Pegula carried that momentum into the decider, where an extra break put her in control before she closed out the victory.
"It was really tough, really physical, I wasn't serving my best, I was fighting a lot of demons out there," Pegula said on court.
"I do a great job on having a short-term memory, I know everytime I come out no matter what I have to tell the negative me to shut up and just play tennis and compete."
with agencies
