Serena stretched, sets up clash with Pliskova

New York, Sept. 3: Six- time champion Serena Williams survived a spirited challenge from unseeded Kaia Kanepi to triumph 6- 0, 4- 6, 6- 3 on Sunday and reach the quarterfinals of the US Open.

The 23- time Grand Slam champion looked set to romp home when she seized the first set from Kanepi in just 18 minutes.

But the hard- hitting Estonian, who took out world number one Simona Halep in the first round, settled down in the second set, shaking off the partisan crowd in a jammed Arthur Ashe Stadium to push Williams the rest of the way.

Serena finished with 18 aces and 47 total winners. A couple of loose points gifted Kanepi a break in the first game of the second set, however, and she couldn’t get back on terms.

Serena double- faulted on break point to send Kanepi up 5- 2. The American would win the next two games, but she couldn’t find another break and after fighting off two set points saw Kanepi knot the match on her third chance.

Serena booked a quarterfinal date with Karolina Pliskova, the eighth- seeded Czech who beat Australian Ashleigh Barty 6- 4, 6- 4.

Pliskova defeated Serena in the semifinals in New York in 2016. Defending champion Sloane Stephens eased past Elise Mertens 6- 3, 6- 3 to book a quarterfinal rematch with Latvian Anastasija Sevastova.

Sevastova toppled seventhseeded Elina Svitolina 6- 3, 1- 6, 60, leaving just two of the top 10 women’s seeds remaining.

Stephens was looking forward to taking on Sevastova again in her bid to push ahead in her title defence.