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Injured Serena Williams stunned in U.S. Open semifinals

Two bricks shy of smashing Steffi Graf’s Open era record of 22 major championships.

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The big-serving Pliskova broke Williams twice in the first set and banged out a 112-mph service victor on set point to take the opening set in a cool 26 minutes. Williams is now tied with Steffi Graf on 22. This year, not so obvious at all, though the defeated 34-year-old’s coach, Patrick Mouratoglou left no doubt Williams was barely fit to compete after suffering a left knee injury late in Wednesday’s demanding three-set victory over Simona Halep.

“I was just pushing too much the balls there”, Kerber said, “so I think I will change this a little bit”.

Angelique Kerber has moved into the world number one position in the WTA rankings after she registered a straight-sets win over Caroline Wozniacki in the last four of the US Open.

Last year, Flavia Pennetta, 33 and ranked No 26, flourished in the Land of Opportunity by reaching the final of a major for the first time in 52 attempts and then finishing her tennis career with a grand slam crown.

“I don’t care”, Pliskova said.

The American also had a lot of regrets about the way she’d served. ´I just don´t think I served well. You saw even when she was down a break she’s still fighting so it’s very hard.

Coming to the match details Pliskova’s tensions deceived her as up 3-0 in the tiebreaker, including a double fault she made three errors.

Pliskova delivered seven aces to her opponent’s six, won 84 per cent of points on her first serve and gave away just one break point.

But she certainly appeared to have her mind elsewhere throughout the match.

“Obviously, she’s had a great year”, the Dane said. But with a win against the World No. 1 and 38-time Grand Slam victor may catapult her career from an underachiever to a rising star.

Karolina Pliskova, meanwhile felt that she’d better than what she did against Venus, not only because of her performance itself, but also because of the atmosphere. In her 51 previous visits to the grand slams, the Italian had reached the semis once, at the 2013 US Open. “I don’t remember the last time I’ve seen her move so slow”.

Her coach said the disappointment will be palpable, however.

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Arthur Ashe Stadium court may not be tennis’s grandest stage but it certainly is the sport’s biggest – and loudest – with more than 23,000 fans routinely filling the tennis cauldron during the U.S. Open fortnight. Nor does this season in which she won at Wimbledon after losing in the finals of both the Australian and French Opens damage her reputation.

Tennis: Serena crashes as Pliskova, Kerber set-up US Open final duel