Keys reaches U.S. Open semis
NEW YORK — Madison Keys is into her third semifinal in the past five Grand Slam tournaments, including two in a row at the U.S. Open. She’s still in search of major title No. 1. The 14th-seeded American used her big-strike game built on serves and forehands to overpower No. 30 Carla Suarez Navarro of Spain 6-4, 6-4 in the quarterfinals at Flushing Meadows on Wednesday night.
Keys won all 10 of her service games, saving the only two break points she faced. One came in the last game as she served for the victory, but she erased it with a forehand winner, part of a 22-10 edge in that category.
It all took less than 1½ hours against Suarez Navarro, who eliminated five-time major champion Maria Sharapova in straight sets in her previous match but has never made it to the semifinals at a major.
Keys was the runner-up in New York a year ago, beaten by Sloane Stephens in an all-American final. Keys also lost to Stephens in the French Open semifinals this June.
This time, Keys will play No. 20 Naomi Osaka tonight for a chance to reach the final again. The other women’s semifinal is 23-time major champion Serena Williams against No. 19 Anastasija Sevastova of Latvia.
Osaka was an easy winner in her quarterfinal, eliminating unseeded Lesia Tsurenko of Ukraine 6-1, 6-1 in 57 minutes.
With Kei Nishikori defeating 2014 champ Marin Cilic 2-6, 6-4, 7-6 (5), 4-6, 6-4 in a rematch of the final four years ago at Flushing Meadows, Osaka and Nishikori give Japan semifinalists in both men’s and women’s singles at the same Grand Slam tournament for the first time in tennis history. “It’s great to see,” Nishikori said. He is into his third major semifinal — all in New York — but is still in search of his first Slam trophy.
For Osaka, who is 20, this is her first trip past the fourth round at a major.
Tsurenko had dealt with heat issues in the fourth round, when her opponent accused her of acting, and said after her lopsided loss to Osaka that she was dealing with a sore throat and problems breathing.
“Today was not my day, obviously,” Tsurenko said.
Novak Djokovic managed to do what Roger Federer could not: beat 55th-ranked John Millman at the U.S. Open.
Djokovic moved a step closer to a third championship at Flushing Meadows and 14th Grand Slam title overall by eliminating Millman 6-3, 6-4, 6-4 in the quarterfinals.
The No. 6-seeded Djokovic, who won Wimbledon in July, had been drawn to face Federer with a semifinal berth at stake. But Millman scuttled that showdown by stunning the 20-time Grand Slam champ in four sets in the fourth round on a hot and humid evening that Federer said sapped his energy and made it hard to breathe.
This one wasn’t exactly simple for Djokovic: He converted only four of 20 break points. And he finished with 53 unforced errors.
He will face Nishikori in the semifinals.