The big-serving Czech raised a fist to her box after crunching out wide a 108mph ace – her tour-high 439th of the year – dropping the curtain on a 6-2, 6-2 win that lasted all of 57 minutes beneath the baking sun in Arthur Ashe Stadium.
Advertisement
Williams has been speeding past Grand Slam milestones throughout the tournament. She then broke Suarez Navarro’s serve in the next game and successfully served it out in her second opportunity. Williams’ very first win at a Grand Slam tournament came way back when she was 16, a 6-7 (5-7) 6-3 6-1 victory over Irina Spirlea in the first round of the Australian Open on January 19, 1998.
Konjuh continued to fight at the beginning of the second set, holding in her first service game, but Pliskova was just too much for her, breaking for a 3-2 lead in the second set, winning the final four games of the set to breeze past Konjuh and into the final four.
The Czech has finally made it past the third round of a major at the 18th time of asking.
“Always there is a chance, so I’m going to do everything to get at least close to the final”, Pliskova said.
That serve and the easy power of her groundstrokes carried Pliskova to the biggest title of her career in August on the hardcourts of Cincinnati.
Yes, she acknowledged later, she was scared for a moment by the odd sound, but nothing really threw her off her game on this night.
It was a ruthless and dominating performance from Pliskova, who did not face a break point while surrendering only five points on her serve.
“I was surprised and I was still waiting even in the first set”, Pliskova said.
Denmark’s Wozniacki has years of success behind her to buoy her confidence despite her current world 74 ranking and unseeded status, in part a product the ankle injury that cost her three months of competition this year.
That is the first set Williams has lost in five matches at Flushing Meadows this year.
Konjuh said Pliskova was “just too good”.
“I would have loved to have gone further”, Murray said, “but it wasn’t to be today”.
But this time, 2014 U.S. Open runner-up Nishikori came through. He needed to save two set points in the third before racing to a 6-0 lead in the final tiebreaker.
During the changeover right before the last game, it suddenly began to rain, and play was delayed only slightly before the shower passed.
The Dane replied by saying, “I don’t think it’s that different”.
Agnieszka Radwanska wipes sweat off her face in between points during her fourth-round match against Ana Konjuh at the 2016 U.S. Open.
“It’s been an incredible night and I had a rough season, so I’m really happy to be here”, Konjuh said in her on-court interview.
American girls are making a strong statement in the U.S. Open junior tournament, taking 10 of the final 16 spots. “But I’m still going to hope that there is going to be some chance in the match where I can get my chance and be the one who is playing aggressive”.
Advertisement
He had won 26 of his previous 27 matches, including a second Wimbledon championship and a second Olympic gold medal, beating Nishikori in straight sets in the semifinals at Rio de Janeiro.
