There is no calendar slam up for grabs this year but history continues to beckon Williams, who would stand alone as the greatest grand slam champion in the Open Era if she can claim a 23rd title.
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“And Simona started playing well and going for her shots”. Williams consolidated the game with an unbelievable game of serve where Halep couldn’t return her powerful serves as the American went up 3-0. “As tournament progresses, I feel like I’m getting better”, Djokovic said.
Pliskova eliminated sister Venus in a taut and tantalizing three-setter in the round of 16.
Simona Halep is Serena’s first seeded opponent in the US Open.
6-time US Open champion Williams had beaten Halep in six of the seven meetings between them.
Later in the first set, Halep broke Williams, the first time she lost a service game in the Open. She had been a downright pain in the very best sense.
A missed return gave Halep a second set point but she couldn’t convert it as Williams hit a volley that touched the baseline. “I knew I had to step it up in the third set if I was going to win”.
But Pliskova, who leads the tour in aces this season, realizes what a daunting task awaits her against Williams. Instead of wilting as others had in previous rounds against Williams, Halep kept pace, and trained her attention on the path ahead.
The action concluded with third seed Stan Wawrinka’s 7-6, 4-6, 6-3, 6-2 quarterfinal victory over Juan Martin del Potro.
Williams takes on the in-form Pliskova for a place in Saturday’s final, with either Kerber or Caroline Wozniacki lying in wait. A win at this year’s U.S. Open would be Williams’ seventh, which would break a tie with Chris Evert for the most ever. In the quarterfinals Carolina leaves no chances groom young Croat won 6: 2,6: 2. “I very much love NY and hard-court season”.
“I’m just happy it’s now and that it came”.
“I’m sure always when you play someone who is better than you it’s a little bit different because you don’t have any pressure”, Pliskova said.
In the quarterfinals, del Potro’s opponent will be No. 3 Wawrinka, a 6-4, 6-1, 6-7 (5), 6-3 victor against Illya Marchenko. Del Potro, the 2009 U.S. Open title victor, earned the silver at the Olympics, while Wawrinka won a hard-court major trophy at the 2014 Australian Open.
Pliskova will face No. 1 Serena Williams in the semifinals Thursday night.
Heading into the U.S. Open, Pliskova was the only current member of the top 20 in the WTA rankings who never had even been past the third round at a major. She will beat Pliskova in straight sets and advance to the championship round. She leads the head-to-head record with Wozniacki, but it’s close. She is not squeaking by in these matches, either.
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After Williams won her next match with another strong showing to reach the quarterfinals, she was asked whether she felt any differently about things.
