Sport
U.S. Open 2014: Serena Williams advances to semi finals
One of these is not like the others: Williams is the only member of that quartet with a Grand Slam title. Wozniacki, the runner-up at the 2009 U.S. Open, is the only other woman left who’s even participated in a major semifinal.
On Williams’ second serve of her quarterfinal, she was called for a foot fault – an unpleasant reminder of her meltdown after that very same ruling in the closing moments of a loss to Kim Clijsters in the 2009 U.S. Open semifinals.
This time, Williams was unfazed right afterward and wound up winning the point. But miscues by Williams led to an opening break, and after about 10 minutes of play, Pennetta – a semifinalist in New York last year, but never a major finalist – was ahead 3-0.
Williams began taking the ball inside the baseline as much as possible and finding the mark with her serves, putting more pressure on Pennetta while reeling off six straight games to take the first set.
Pennetta, who is into the doubles semifinals with partner Martina Hingis, made things competitive again – at least briefly. Four aces in one game allowed her to lead 2-1 in the second set. That was pretty much that. Williams broke at love to go up 3-2, raising her left fist overhead to celebrate one particularly impressive shot, in which she raced back to the baseline to retrieve a lob, spun and smacked a forehand winner.
Williams has not had a particularly difficult path so far through an upset-filled women’s field. She has not dropped a set.
Source: Associated Press
