US Open Day 10: Serena Williams survives 3-set battle to reach semifinals

Serena Williams leans back, eyes closed, with her head facing the sky.
Serena Williams survived a tough quarterfinal match to reach her 11th consecutive US Open semifinal. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

The 2020 US Open returned to the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center with no fans due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Here’s a roundup of the 10th day of action.

Williams completes comeback to reach semifinals

It was a difficult battle, but Serena Williams came out on top to reach the US Open semifinals for an 11th consecutive time. She defeated Tsvetana Pironkova 4-6, 6-3, 6-2.

For the first time in Grand Slam history three mothers made it to the quarterfinals of a major tournament. Two of them are Williams, 38, and 32-year-old Pironkova, who was playing her first tournament in more than three years.

The Bulgarian played a strong match and put Williams in a hole early. She also forced Williams into multiple left-handed shots. Meanwhile Williams struggled with her backhand through the first two sets.

The second set got Williams going and she bounced back after losing the opening game. The 23-time Grand Slam champion closed out the set with three straight aces. She finished the match with 20 aces and 44 winners. But she also had 24 unforced errors (Pironkova had 26).

It’s the third consecutive match that Williams has gone a full three sets to win. She also dropped the first set in the third round, but was able to complete much quicker and cleaner second and third sets.

Williams said after the match she was feeling it a little in her legs at the beginning, but “for some reason” had more energy an hour in.

Williams will take the court again on Saturday, where she’ll take on Belarus’ Victoria Azarenka in the semifinals.

Azarenka upset Belgium’s Elise Mertens easily in straight sets in her quarterfinals match, winning 6-1, 6-0.

Daniil Medvedev, Dominic Thiem into semifinals

The all-Russian quarterfinal match at the US Open was a tight one on Wednesday.

Daniil Medvedev, however, escaped in straight sets.

Medvedev beat Andrey Rublev 7-6 (8-6), 6-3, 7-6 (7-5), earning his spot in the semifinals and keeping his quest to reach the championship match for the second-straight year alive.

The 24-year-old reached the first Grand Slam final of his career last year, though fell to Rafael Nadal in the championship.

He will take on Austria’s Dominic Theim in the semifinals on Saturday.

Theim cruised to a win in his quarterfinals match on Wednesday night, flying past Australia’s Alex de Minaur in straight sets 6-1, 6-2, 6-4.

The win will send the 27-year-old to the semifinals at the US Open for the first time in his career.

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