Serena Williams will move through to the semi-finals with a straight-sets win, securing her chance to take her seventh crown at Flushing Meadows.
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“I’m aware I’ll need to do that again if I want to beat him, because he’s one of the best players in the world”.
For years, the book on Gael Monfils was that he was supremely talented, yes – and also more interested in producing an entertaining display that an effective one.
That seems astonishing, since Williams has reached the last eight without dropping a set or indeed even dropping her serve.
On the very first part of the game against Yaroslava Shvedova, William swatted an ace that sets the mood of the game.
But after going 0 for 12 on break points in the second set, Williams righted herself, broke on her first opportunity of the third to go ahead 3-1, and was on her way.
“Wow, it’s really exciting”, Williams said of moving out of a tie with Federer for most Grand Slam match wins. “I think it’s something that, you know, just really talks about the length of my career, in particular”, Williams said. She’s a tough opponent with her slice.
Kerber’s first U.S. Open semifinal since 2011 will come against Caroline Wozniacki or Anastasija Sevastova. Williams has surpassed Roger Federer’s record with a 308th Grand Slam match win.
“It’s always tough to play Roberta, she always comes out to play great tennis”, said Kerber, who last made the semi-finals in NY in 2011.
Elsewhere, Croatian teen Ana Konjuh upset fourth seed Agnieszka Radwanska 6-4 6-4 on Monday to claim the last women’s quarter-final spot. As good as Williams’ serve is, it’s Pliskova who leads the tour in aces in 2016.
Heading into Wednesday’s quarterfinal against No. 5 Simona Halep, Williams has been rather dominant. Instead of trailing 3-0, which was almost the case, Halep wound up ahead 3-1.
Escape complete? Not quite. Larsson only managed to get eight points over the second set.
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Venus, aged 36, was bidding to become the oldest grand slam quarter-finalist since Martina Navratilova at Wimbledon in 1994 but Pliskova snatched a thrilling 4-6 6-4 7-6 (7/3) victory in Arthur Ashe Stadium. If Williams holds the trophy aloft at Flushing Meadows on Saturday she will eclipse Steffi Graf’s Open-era record of 22 Grand Slam titles. In the other, two-time runner-up Caroline Wozniacki was a 6-0, 6-2 victor against Anastasija Sevastova, who injured her right ankle in the second game and was never able to get going.
