After two days of rain troubled the US Open organizers and fans, women’s quarterfinals finally took place and we have our final four: Serena Williams, Caroline Wozniacki, Angelique Kerber and Samantha Stosur. Semifinals will be played on Saturday.
Serena Williams (28) vs. Caroline Wozniacki (1)
This semifinal will be especially interesting because it is an encounter of a supposed deserved No.1 and real No.1. Wozniacki has to win this one if she wants to prove all the doubters in her game wrong, this is a perfect opportunity to do so. Since Wozniacki overtook the top position in the rankings from Serena, the two haven’t clashed, but in their last and only two meetings in 2009, Williams won.
Serena is yet to lose a set at the tournament. The quarterfinal with Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova featured six breaks of serve in the beginning before Serena got on track and in the 12th game broke the Russian to take the first set. In the second set Williams lost just three points on her serve and ended the match with her sixth ace. Final score: 7-5 6-1.
Wozniacki advanced with a 6-1 7-6(5) win over Andrea Petkovic. Wozniacki let a 5-3 lead in the second set slip and ended up playing a tiebreak, in which Petkovic made five unforced errors and spoiled the comeback.
Samantha Stosur (9) vs. Angelique Kerber
How many people would name the 92-ranked Kerber a potential US Open semifinalist before the tournament started? The German exited all the three previous 2011 Grand Slams in the first round and her best Grand Slam results were two third round appearances – at Australian Open and Wimbledon in 2010, the year in which she played her one and only WTA final at Bogota.
Kerber reached the semifinals with a hard-fought 6-4 4-6 6-3 victory over world No.25 Flavia Pennetta, which followed her wins over Monica Niculescu, Alla Kudyavtseva, Agnieszka Radwanska and Lauren Davis.
One thing that was endangering Stosur’s quarterfinal form was the fact that she played two very demanding matches in previous rounds. Her third round against Nadia Petrova was the longest women’s singles match at the US Open (it lasted three hours and 16 minutes) and in the following round against Maria Kirilenko Stosur played another historic match which will stay in WTA archives as an encounter with the longest women’s tiebreak in Grand Slam history (that match lasted almost three hours).
However, Stosur extended her epic run and stormed past last year’s US Open runner-up Vera Zvonareva 6-3 6-3. It is Stosur’s eighth straight win over the Russian. Actually, Stosur is the only player who has defeated Zvonareva eight times in a row.
The 2011 US Open semifinal will be the first meeting of Stosur and Kerber. photos: © Neal Trousdale)
Go sammy!! Her win is the best birthday present ever!
Caroline Wozniacki will meet Serena Williams in semifinal game. how great..
The method of ranking players is defined and known by all players and most fans. You have to play the cicuit if you want the number one ranking. No matter who wins the US Open, on Monday Wozniacki will still be number one and deservedly so. She’s won more matches than anyone in 2011 and has scored the most ranking points of any player in 2011.
It’s all mathematics and no player deserves #1 unless she earns it. Wozniacki has earned it.
No matter your favorite player, no matter that the majors give off so many more ranking points, no matter what you think or feel about ranking – the integrity of the game demands us all to honor the system.
I’m so excited that Caroline is going up against Serena. I feel like that is the real final right there. I am rooting for Caroline to take this one.
I absolutely agree with John, and I think that calling Caroline a supposed deserved No.1 is a really snide remark, especially concidering how long she has kept the position. Clearly she is number one right now.
Serena, however, IS legendary, and I am very much looking forward to see how Caroline will handle her.
You’re absolutely right, John! And no doubt Serena could be number 1 again, if she’s able to play a lot of matches… but since she doesn’t play as many tournaments as Caroline does, she needs all the points she can achieve 🙂 For now, Caroline deserves the number 1 spot. Although I hope for her she does win the Open.. Just to shut some people’s mouths…
Obviously, Sam has an avenue to the final which she will “very likely” lose. Because if Serena wins, she will eat her up, and if Caroline wins, she won’t miss the opportunity. Bottom-line, the top-draw semi-final is the “final”. It will be most likely three sets. As for the pick, I think that Caroline will prevail because on a third set, Serena will be tired and Caro won’t give up.
oops, woz cannot win even in her dreams, she will go down, if serena’s serve is going to be fine, then for woz it will be a struggle, serena can easily break woz umpteen times, woz loses to people who are aggressive and who hit down the lines ( goerges, petko few times, kvitova).serena is on of them, to beat serena, its not enough to put the balls back in court, coz serena wil murder short balls unlike other players. as for stosur kerber, stosur is brilliant and top player, but dont count out kerber, she hits the ball very hard and if she can attack stosur’s weak backhand, there is a chance that stosur may melt down.
Harriet’s comment is perharps the best I have heard so far in comparing these two high achievers in ladies tennis. “Caroline is Number 1; Serena is Legendary!” I am supporting Serena yet there is absolutely no need to pull one down to praise the other. No matter the outcome of today’s match and US Open 2011, the fact will remain that “Caroline is Number 1; Serena is Legendary!”
Well, about no.1 problem- Serena the best, but she doesn’t play enough matches. Too bad right now there is no player that can combine the best and the most consistent part. As for the match, i think Serena will win, although it could be though for her. As for the other match, i don’t know, i think Stosur can play better than right now, and i haven’t seen Kerber play.
Wow, that was an easier win for Serena than I expected… And now she’s going to win the title for sure! If Stosur struggles against Kerber.. she absolutely needs to grade up her game if she wants to have a chance against the Legendary Serena 🙂