US Open: Nadal roars into semis chasing 19th Slam title

Rafael Nadal, called a "lion" by his latest victim and "the greatest fighter ever" by his next opponent, stalks his 19th Grand Slam title in Friday's US Open semifinals.

The 33-year-old Spaniard, forced to retire from last year's semi-finals with knee pain, is feeling healthy now and ready to pounce upon Italy's 24th-seeded Matteo Berrettini.

"He's serving huge, big forehands, moving well, and big confidence because he's having a great year, so let's see. I need to play my best," Nadal said of his first-time foe.

"Looks relaxed, looks he's ready to fight for important things."

At stake is a berth in Sunday's final at Arthur Ashe Stadium against a first-time Grand Slam finalist -- the winner between Russian fifth seed Daniil Medvedev and Bulgaria's 78th-ranked Grigor Dimitrov, who upset 20-time Slam champion Roger Federer in a five-set quarter-final thriller.

"I saw some matches of him here. He was playing unbelievable," Medvedev said. "We all know what he's capable of when he's playing like he can."

The same is true about Nadal, who dispatched Argentina's Diego Schwartzman in the quarter-finals.

"Like a lion in the middle of the jungle," Schwartzman said of Nadal. "He's big. He's a fighter. He knows how to play the important moments every single time."

Berrettini, at 23 a decade younger than Nadal, heaped on greater praise.

"I think he's the greatest fighter ever in this sport," the Italian said. "It's unbelievable (what) he's doing. I admire him, the way he is on the court, like his attitude is something I think it's close to perfection."

Nadal, who has dropped only one set in four matches and a walkover, warns his mind and body are as dangerous as his heart and spirit.

"I had stable character during all my life, all my career. I mean, mentally focused, mentally relaxed and mentally always ready to respect every opponent, to play every point, to play every game, to play every set and every match until the end. So that's one of the keys of the success," Nadal said.

"But honestly, is not everything. I think my success is not only because of the spirit of fight. There is lot of things after this."

Berrettini, never better than the last-16 in seven prior Slam starts, recalled seeing Nadal on television as a child.

"It was unbelievable," Berrettini said. "I saw, like, 100 of his matches. Who in this tour doesn't know Rafa? It's going to be tough, for sure, against him."

Nadal is playing a personal-best seventh consecutive Slam semi-final, having won his 12th French Open title in June. He lost to top-ranked Novak Djokovic in the Australian Open final and to Federer in the Wimbledon semis.

- Sore quad nags Medvedev -
Medvedev was hindered by a sore left quadriceps muscle in a quarter-final win over three-time Grand Slam winner Stan Wawrinka but has two rest days before facing Dimitrov.

The Russian has been busy the past month, winning the Cincinnati title and reaching the finals at Washington and Montreal, where he fell to Nadal in the final.

"That's what I've been working for all my life," Medvedev said. "That's where I've been going step by step. But I am still really surprised with the way this last four weeks have been going. I've achieved some of what I've dreamed."

Medvedev made his deepest Slam run to the Australia last-16 then bettered that in New York, although an obscene gesture and unsportsmanlike conduct made him a target of boos from fans in his past three matches.

Medvedev called himself "an idiot" for taunts to fans saying he drew inspiration from their jeers and vowed to show his "brighter side" in future matches.

"He has been having a great summer, a lot of confidence building up, winning Cincinnati, being already here. A lot of good matches, a lot behind him really," Dimitrov said.

"Clearly he's doing something right. It's not going to be an easy match."

Medvedev split two 2017 meetings with Dimitrov, the Bulgarian winning at Queen's and Medvedev responding a month later in Washington.

Dimitrov has battled back from an early season shoulder injury to match his best Slam runs from Wimbledon in 2014 and Australia in 2017.

js/mw

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Tennis: Bencic bounds into first-ever Grand Slam semifinal

Belinda Bencic reached her first-ever Grand Slam semi-final on Wednesday, fending off Donna Vekic to win 7-6(5) 6-3 in their US Open last-eight clash on Arthur Ashe Stadium.

The pair appeared evenly matched through most of the first set, as Switzerland's Bencic struggled for consistency on serve, firing off five aces but committing four double faults.

The 13th seed took command of the match in the second set, committing just four unforced errors compared to 17 in the first.

Croatian Vekic fired 28 winners during the match but failed to save critical break points against her, as an elated Bencic reached a new milestone in an injury-plagued career.

"Sometimes you all take it a little bit for granted," said the 22-year-old, who stunned world number one and defending champion Naomi Osaka earlier in the week. "When you can’t play you miss it so much.

"For me it’s a perspective change and I am enjoying playing tennis so much now."

Bencic next plays either Canada's Bianca Andreescu or Belgium's Elise Mertens, who face off under the lights at Arthur Ashe Stadium later on Wednesday.

"For sure Andreescu has a lot of variation in her game. Mertens is more like a wall-type of game. She's a great counter-puncher," said Bencic.

"Definitely I'm very curious who is going to win and adapt to the opponent in the semi-finals."

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Tennis: Sharapova sparkles on return to grand slam stage

NEW YORK -- Maria Sharapova proved she will be someone to contend with for the U.S. Open crown after the Russian wild card outlasted second seed Simona Halep, 6-4 4-6 6-3, on Monday, to get the year's final grand slam off to an electrifying start.

Still shaking off the rust from a 15-month doping ban and a string of nagging injuries, the 30-year-old Sharapova needed all her skill, determination and two hours and 44 minutes to snatch victory in front of a packed Arthur Ashe stadium.

The victory becomes the highlight of what has been a torturous comeback for the former world number one, who returned to tennis in April after being banned after testing positive for metabolic modulator meldonium at last year's Australian Open.

Her progress has been slowed by a thigh injury that forced her out of the Italian Open in May and more recently left arm issues in that took her out of the second round at Stanford earlier this month.

However, there was no hint of distress against an in-form Halep as she improved her record to 7-0 against the feisty Romanian in an opening round clash that was played with the intensity more befitting of a final.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Kerber begins reign as No. 1 with U.S. Open win

NEW YORK -- Germany's Angelique Kerber began her reign as world No. 1 in imperious style battling past a determined Karolina Pliskova, 6-3 4-6 6-4, to win the U.S. Open final on Saturday and claim her second grand slam title of the year.

Kerber, who officially takes over from Serena Williams as the world's top ranked player on Monday, underlined her No. 1 status displaying the heart of a champion as she fought off a fierce challenge from Czech 10th seed Pliskova on a steamy afternoon at Arthur Ashe Stadium.

The 28-year-old began the grand slam year beating Serena Williams to lift the Australian Open title and celebrated again on Saturday when she became the first German to win the U.S. Open in 20 years.

Kerber recovered from a break down in the third set, pouncing on her wilting opponent with two breaks in the third set to end a compelling, high-quality battle of attrition that stretched for two hours and seven minutes.

"It's just amazing," a beaming Kerber, told an adoring crowd after being handed the winner's check of $3.5 million. "I won my second grand slam in one year. That's the best of my career.

"Actually just incredible.

"When I was a kid I was always dreaming to be the number one player in the world and win grand slams and today is the day I won my second grand slam here, especially in New York. I'm the number one player on Monday.

"All the dreams came true this year."

Pliskova, who arrived at Flushing Meadows with a reputation of grand slam under-achiever having never before been beyond the third round of the major, shed that label by making it all the way to the final and taking on back-to-back world number ones.

After beating top ranked Serena Williams in the semi-finals to end the American's record-equaling 186 consecutive weeks stay at the top of the rankings, the big-hitting Pliskova, who has led the WTA Tour in aces the last two season, attacked her successor in the final but could not break down the tireless German's defense.

"You cannot compare those two (Serena Williams and Kerber)," explained Pliskova. "The game is totally different. The persons as well. Serena is going for every shot.

"With Angie, you cannot wait for mistakes. She doesn't give you anything. I have to be the one who is aggressive.

"I beat very good players. It was always my goal to pass the third round and I made it to the final."

Kerber admires compatriot Steffi Graf, but is blazing her own trail.

Comparisons, though, are inevitable after Kerber became the first German to win the U.S. Open since Graf claimed the last of her five Flushing Meadows crowns in 1996.

"She was always my idol and I told her so many times," said Kerber, adding that Graf had sent her a text wishing her luck. "For me it's really important to go on my own way."

The match opened with Kerber breaking a jittery Pliskova and ended the same way, though for most part it was a very even contest.

Kerber's loss of the second set was the first time the entire championship that she had dropped a set.

But she fought back in the third set and wore down the towering Czech, who started to wilt in the punishing conditions, hunching over her racket at the end of almost every point.

Kerber, sensing an opening, stepped up the pressure and pace getting triple break point at 5-4 and closed out the contest on the first match point.

"I think I was just believing in myself in the third set and just going for it," said Kerber.

"I think that was the key at the end of the third set, that I was trying to take the chance, just go for it."

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Serena reaches U.S. Open last 16 with milestone win

NEW YORK - Another win, another milestone for Serena Williams who rolled into the U.S. Open last 16 on Saturday by crushing Sweden's Johanna Larsson 6-2 6-1 to collect grand slam victory number 307 - the most by a woman in the Open era.

As in the majority of her victories at the majors, Williams operated with ruthless efficiency but displayed little fire as she coolly dispatched the 47th-ranked Swede in exactly one hour.

The win moved the 34-year-old American past Martina Navratilova and level with Roger Federer for most grand slam victories by a man or woman.

"Wow. That's pretty awesome and honestly what a better place to do it than here, where it all started," Williams told an adoring Arthur Ashe Stadium crowd.

"It is actually a really good feeling. To be up there with both men and women is something that's super rare."

It was at Flushing Meadows where Williams won her first grand slam in 1999 and 17 years later it is where she could achieve two more career landmarks if she can reach the winner's circle again on Sept. 10.

A record seventh U.S. Open title would give Williams 23 career grand slams, moving her past Steffi Graf again for the most in the Open Era, and just one shy of Margaret Court who tops the all-time list with 24.

"Each number I'm definitely proud of," said Williams. "I was really excited to 307. I was really excited to do that."

Williams will go for win number 308 on Monday when she meets Kazakhstan's Yaroslava Shvedova, a 6-2 7-5 winner over China's Zhang Shuai, in round four.

Williams arrived at Flushing Meadows last year on the cusp of claiming a calendar slam and the weight of expectation was crushing, the pressure mounting with each match until a shock loss to Roberta Vinci in the semi-finals.

This year Williams has been unusually low key, making her way into the fourth round with minimum fuss having yet to drop a set, conserving energy for the second week where the real tournament begins for the world number one.

For her first day match on Arthur Ashe, Williams switched from evening black to afternoon white but the change in attire did nothing to change the outcome.

Larsson fell behind quickly as Williams broke her at the first opportunity and again to close out the first set.

The Swede began better in the second set, holding serve to level at 1-1 but Williams was in no mood to mess around as she swept the next five games.

"I feel like I have been doing pretty good," said Williams. "I have been being moving a lot. So far, so good."

(Editing by Ed Osmond)

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Williams upset has Djokovic, Federer on high alert

NEW YORK - On high alert after a day of upsets during which Serena Williams was sent packing from the U.S. Open, Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer made sure their names were not added to the list of shocks on Friday as they posted emphatic semi-final victories.

The tremors started early at Arthur Ashe Stadium with Flavia Pennetta crushing second seed Simona Halep 6-1 6-3, before Roberta Vinci rocked Flushing Meadows delivering one of the biggest upsets in tennis history with her semi-final win over Williams that punctured the American's calendar Grand Slam dream.

Two victories from becoming the fourth woman to win all four majors in one year, a brittle-looking Williams crumbled as unseeded Vinci, playing in her first grand slam singles semi-final, battled to an improbable 2-6 6-4 6-4 win.

The results set the stage for an equally improbable all-Italian final on Saturday.

"I don't want to talk about how disappointing it is for me," a grim-faced Williams told reporters. "I told you guys I don't feel pressure. I never felt pressure.

"I never felt that pressure to win here. I said that from the beginning."

With the National Tennis Center buzzing over the exit of Williams, world number one Djokovic and second seed Federer restored order to the year's final grand slam.

Djokovic needed just 85 minutes to secure passage to his fourth consecutive grand slam final, crushing defending U.S. Open champion Marin Cilic 6-0 6-1 6-2.

The demolition was the worst ever in a U.S. Open semi-final, the three games lost one fewer than the four Yevgeny Kafelnikov managed against Lleyton Hewitt in 2001.

Federer, a five-times U.S. Open winner, was equally efficient as he beat Swiss compatriot Stan Wawrinka 6-4 6-3 6-1.

The all-time grand slam singles king with 17 titles, Federer heads into Sunday's final gunning to add to his record haul. He has not won a grand since since 2012 Wimbledon.

The final will mark the 42nd meeting between the two great rivals, with Federer holding a wafer 21-20 advantage.

"Novak it's been more straightforward, my opinion," said Federer. "That's what I like about the rivalry.

"I think it's just a straight shootout and I think that's the cool thing about our rivalry. It's very athletic.

"We both can handle ... whatever we present to one another, and I think our matches, it's very even."

VINCI 300-1 SHOT

Vinci, a 300-1 shot to win the U.S. Open when the tournament began, pulled off one of the most remarkable ever tennis upsets by ending Williams' streak of 33 consecutive match wins in the grand slams.

A five-times doubles grand slam winner, the 32-year-old Vinci had never been beyond the quarter-finals in singles play at 43 majors.

In the other corner stood Williams, a 21-times grand slam champion who had lost only two matches all season and had not dropped a set against Vinci in their four previous meetings.

Forced to wait a day after rain wiped out Thursday's semi-finals schedule, the weight of expectation appeared to take its toll on a 33-year-old who was chasing the first calendar Grand Slam since Steffi Graf in 1988.

Everything was going according to script as Williams easily took the opening set but things began to unravel after a composed Vinci registered a key break in the fifth game of the second that allowed her to even the match.

With the contest slipping away, Williams tried to will herself back into the match, screaming and fist-pumping after each point and feeding off the support of the crowd.

But with nothing lose, an undaunted Vinci continued to pressure Williams, who could not match previous great escapes.

While a stunned Vinci celebrated, a scowling Williams quickly departed a stunned stadium.

"This is an incredible moment for me," Vinci said. "It's amazing. It's like a dream. I'm in the final. I beat Serena."

Lost in the drama of the Williams match was a brilliant performance by Pennetta, who needed less than an hour to deal with Romanian Halep.

Pennetta, was a clear underdog but the 26th seed tapped into her vast experience and was not overwhelmed on the big stage.

She had reached the quarter-finals at Flushing Meadows in six of the previous seven years, but the final will be uncharted territory.

(Editing by John O'Brien/Andrew Both)

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Federer cruises as US Open quit list hits record nine

NEW YORK -- Five-time champion Roger Federer breezed through sweltering conditions at the US Open on Tuesday as the crushing heat and humidity took the number of first-round retirements to a record nine.

Second-seeded Federer had little trouble in seeing off Argentina's world number 34 Leonardo Mayer 6-1, 6-2, 6-2 in just 77 minutes on Arthur Ashe Stadium.

The 34-year-old Swiss, bidding to become the oldest champion in New York in 45 years, fired 12 aces, 29 winners and broke serve six times.

The 17-time Grand Slam champion goes on to face either Marcos Baghdatis or Steve Darcis.

"I feel good now. I actually wasn't so confident yesterday. I just felt like maybe it could be one of those matches I just couldn't see coming," said Federer, who had saved five match points to beat Mayer in their only other meeting in Shanghai last year.

"So thankfully I took this match extremely serious. I thought at times almost I was taking it a bit too serious."

The day's big drama was being served-up on Court Five, where Australia's Thanasi Kokkinakis retired on one leg in the fifth set against French 12th seed Richard Gasquet.

The 19-year-old Kokkinakis, who was caught up in compatriot Nick Kyrgios's infamous sex slur against Stan Wawrinka in Montreal, suffered cramping and was warned by the umpire that he was putting his health at risk if he continued.

But he battled on, serving from a standing start and forced to play at walking pace before he finally gave up, losing 4-6, 6-1, 4-6, 6-3, 2-0 after almost three hours in 30-degree heat.

He was the eighth man to retire from the first round, a record for the US Open before Kazakhstan's Aleksandr Nedovyesov quickly became the ninth.

He was down 6-0, 7-6 (7/2), 1-0 to former champion Lleyton Hewitt when he called a halt after suffering a right shoulder injury.

Earlier, Latvia's Ernests Gulbis also quit, handing Great Britain's Aljaz Bedene a 3-6, 6-4, 3-0 win.

Six men had retired on Monday.

"It's just frustrating because I started playing good tennis. I was getting fired up," said Kokkinakis.

"I actually felt all right. My energy levels were good, and then I went up to hit a swing and volley or something, and both my calves -- it was just a disaster."

American number one John Isner breezed past Malek Jaziri of Tunisia 6-2, 6-3, 6-4 on the back of 24 aces and 54 winners.

Czech sixth seed Tomas Berdych, who made the semi-finals in 2012, was also a comfortable winner, seeing off American wildcard Bjorn Fratangelo 6-3, 6-2, 6-4.

- Women's seeds fall-
Japan may have lost fourth seed Kei Nishikori in the first round on Monday, but 19-year-old Yoshihito Nishioka restored some national pride with a 6-4, 2-6, 6-7 (7/9), 6-1, 6-2 win over fellow qualifier Paul-Henri Mathieu of France.

In the women's draw, Lucie Safarova joined the seeds casualty list when the Czech left-hander became the fourth top-10 player to lose in the first round.

Sixth-seeded Safarova slipped to a 6-4, 6-1 defeat to Ukraine's Lesia Tsurenko, the woman she beat in the semi-finals in New Haven just last week.

Safarova, the French Open runner-up, joins seventh seed Ana Ivanovic, eighth-ranked Karolina Pliskova and Carla Suarez Navarro, the 10th seed, in failing to get out of the first round.

With world number three Maria Sharapova having pulled out of the tournament through injury, Safarova's defeat also served to ease Serena Williams's path to a calender Grand Slam.

World number two Simona Halep avoided the upsets when she reached the second round thanks to New Zealand opponent Marina Erakovic retiring with a knee injury.

Halep was leading 6-2, 3-0 when her 99th-ranked rival called it quits.

Romanian 23-year-old Halep goes on to face Kateryna Bondarenko of Ukraine.

Fourth-seeded Caroline Wozniacki, a two-time runner-up, also avoided the cull by beating American college champion Jamie Loeb, ranked at 413 in the world, 6-2, 6-0.

Spanish ninth seed Garbine Muguruza won her first match since making the Wimbledon final when she saw off Germany's Carina Witthoeft 6-2, 6-4.

In the Tuesday night session, third seed Andy Murray, the 2012 champion, begins his campaign against the controversial Kyrgios, the world number 37.

The 20-year-old Australian has lost all three of his matches against Murray.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com