In the women’s quarterfinals, 10th-seeded Karolina Pliskova easily eliminated Konjuh 6-2, 6-2 in just 57 minutes to get to the final four at a Grand Slam tournament for the first time.
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Wimbledon champions Andy Murray and Serena Williams again take center stage on Wednesday, when the US Open semi-final lineup will be completed.
In today’s other semifinal, No. 2 Angelique Kerber plays two-time U.S. Open runner-up Caroline Wozniacki.
Regardless of Saturday’s outcome, Kerber will move up one spot to No. 1 on Monday, ending Williams’ stay of 186 consecutive weeks, exactly the same number Steffi Graf compiled for the record. Serena faced her hardest test yet in a grueling victory in which she racked up 41 unforced errors and struggled with her second serve. Serena also showed no signs of breaking down as she got the fastest serve in the tournament at 126 miles per hour.
Despite all the fuss, Murray eventually seemed to recover, breaking back and taking three games in a row to lead 5-4 in the fifth.
“I think her level really picked up in the second, but I had some opportunities that I didn’t take”. “To me, it doesn’t really matter who I play, because I have to expect they’re going to play the match of their life”.
Pliskova went into the match on a 10-match winning streak, and with the most aces on the WTA Tour this year, and it was that shot which carried the Czech to victory.
The Romanian became the first player in the tournament to break Williams’s serve, and the first to take a set off the top seed.
“I’m happy to be in the semifinals”, Williams said. As for dropshots, I hit a lot of dropshots in practice. “I very much love NY and hard-court season”. Getting all sorts of pace on returns, including off a 104 miles per hour serve at break point, Pliskova quickly gained control of points.
Entering Flushing Meadows, Williams hadn’t played since a disappointing early exit from the Olympics because of a wrist injury, but she said a new ailment had cropped up during the opening rounds in NY.
History proved to be a hurdle too high for Williams to clear in Queens a year ago.
“For me, I’m going out on Arthur Ashe, on the stadium, and playing against top player, I have more confidence going out there”, she said. Halep battled through a marathon 10-minute plus service game that saw Williams hold, and miss out on eight break point chances.
Pliskova broke Konjuh’s serve in the match’s opening game, forcing the 92nd-ranked teenager to play from behind right from the start. Pliskova was able to break her opponent two times in five break point opportunities.
The loss prevents Williams from earning her seventh championship at Flushing Meadows and 23rd major title overall, which would both have been Open-era records. Williams has surpassed Roger Federer’s record with a 308th Grand Slam match win.
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Williams, 34, entered the match in cruise control, having not dropped a set in her four prior Open matches.
