VENUS DOWNS PETRA TO REACH U.S. OPEN SEMI-FINALS
Anderson and Carreno Busta face off in their maiden Slam semis
SEVEN-time Grand Slam champion Venus Williams became the oldest semi-finalist in US Open history at age 37 by defeating two-time Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova 6-3, 3-6, 7-6 (7-2).
US ninth seed Williams, seeking her third US Open crown, advanced to a semi-final match-up today against 83rd-ranked compatriot Sloane Stephens for a spot in Saturday’s final.
“I’m so fortunate to have won that match. It came down to the wire,” Williams said.
“I try to tell myself enjoy the competition, enjoy the battle and I think I was able to do that.”
In the men’s event, South Africa’s Kevin Anderson reached a Grand Slam semi-final for the first time where he will face Spain’s Pablo Carreno Busta who will also be appearing in his maiden last four at a major.
Stephens, who missed 11 months with a left foot injury before returning at Wimbledon, matched her best Grand Slam showing by outlasting Latvian 16th seed Anastasija Sevastova 6-3, 3-6, 7-6 (7-4).
Stephens has won 13 of her past 15 matches and matched her 2013 Australian Open semi-final run for best Slam effort.
Williams, who improved to 2-4 alltime against the Czech 13th seed, will return to the world top five for the first time since January 2011, a span that saw her diagnosed with the energy- sapping disease Sjogren’s Syndrome.
Williams, the oldest Slam semi-finalist since Martina Navratilova at Wimbledon in 1994, won the 2000 and 2001 US crowns.
She was runner-up this year at Wimbledon and the Australian Open and could reach three Slam finals in a year for the first time since 2002.
Kvitova battled back from a fivemonth absence after a knife-wielding home intruder injured her left hand last December.
South African 28th seed Anderson downed 17th-seeded American Sam Querrey 7-6 (7-5), 6-7 (9-11), 6-3, 7-6 (9-7) to book a berth in tomorrow’s semi-finals.
Anderson, the first South African in any Slam semi-finalist since Wayne Ferreira at the 2003 Australian Open, will meet Spanish 12th seed Carreno Busta, who has not dropped a set, for a place in Sunday’s final.
“To play in one of the most famous courts in the world at night and to get through, it feels fantastic,” said Anderson.
Carreno Busta, the first player in any Grand Slam to face four qualifiers, cruised into his first Slam semi-final by ousting Argentine 29th seed Diego Schartzman 6-4, 6-4, 6-2. “Incredible,” Carreno Busta said. “It’s something that I always dreamed about but something I never thought was going to arrive here.
“It’s a great feeling.”
With Anderson standing 6ft 8in (2.02m) and Querrey 6ft 6in (1.97m), it was the tallest match-up ever so late in any Slam.