Women’s semifinals an all-American party
NEW YORK - Madison Keys completed the clean sweep for American women, giving the host country all four U.S. Open semifinal spots for the first time in 36 years.
The 15th-seeded Keys served impeccably, controlled groundstroke exchanges from the baseline and was never in trouble during a 6-3, 6-3 victory over 418th-ranked qualifier Kaia Kanepi of Estonia that lasted only 69 minutes Wednesday night.
That came several hours after 20th-seeded CoCo Vandeweghe’s 7-6 (4), 6-3 elimination of 2016 runner-up and top-seeded Karolina Pliskova of the Czech Republic. Pliskova’s loss means she will be replaced at No. 1 in the rankings by Wimbledon champion Garbine Muguruza.
On Thursday, Keys faces Vandeweghe — with the winner reaching her first Grand Slam final — and No. 9 seed Venus Williams meets 83rd-ranked Sloane Stephens.
“We’re going to have four American women playing tomorrow, and that’s pretty awesome,” Keys told the Arthur Ashe Stadium crowd, drawing a roar of approval.
Williams, whose seven major championships include the 2000 and 2001 U.S. Opens, and Stephens won quarterfinals Tuesday.
“American tennis,” said Stephens, seeking her debut in a major final, “is headed in the right direction.”
Not since 1981 have there been four American women in the final four at the U.S. Open, when the quartet was champion Tracy Austin, runner-up Martina Navratilova, Chris Evert and Barbara Potter. It hadn’t happened at any Grand Slam tournament since Wimbledon four years after that.
While Williams is 37, the oldest semifinalist in tournament history, the other members of the remaining trio are all in their 20s.
Keys, 22, had a rough start to 2017, missing the first two months after offseason surgery on her left wrist, and then had another procedure in June because of lingering pain. She was terrific against Kanepi, who sat with a white towel over her head during changeovers and dropped to 0-6 in Grand Slam quarterfinals.
The 25-year-old Vandeweghe, a niece of former NBA player Kiki Vandeweghe, reached her first Grand Slam semifinal at the Australian Open in January. She was the junior champ in New York in 2008, but never had success in the main draw until now: Of her previous eight appearances, half ended in the first round, half in the second.
On the men’s side, Rafael Nadal did his part, and then it was up to Roger Federer.
Nadal powered into the semifinals and kept alive the possibility for a matchup with his longtime rival, overwhelming Russian teenager Andrey Rublev, 6-1, 6-2, 6-2.
The top-seeded Nadal wrapped up the rout in just over 90 minutes, then waited to see if he would finally face Federer in the only Grand Slam tournament where they have never met.
Nadal called it “something strange” that he’s never played Federer in New York, although they’ve come close in the past. There were five previous occasions when they were a round away from having it happen, but one or the other lost.
Federer played No. 24 seed Juan Martin del Potro later Wednesday.
Nadal ready for Federer or anyone else, breaking the 19-year-old Rublev’s serve seven times.
Though Federer beat Nadal in the Australian Open final and has won all three meetings this year, Nadal’s coach, Carlos Moya, said he would look forward to the match.
“I think it’s the best match that you can have — as a tennis fan, as a spectator,” Moya said. “And I believe Rafa is going to be ready if that match has to happen.”
Rublev was the youngest U.S. Open quarterfinalist since Andy Roddick was also 19 in 2001 but he didn’t give himself much chance, committing 43 unforced errors and seven double faults.
“This match told me how far I am and how much I need to improve, so now is time to try to be better and become stronger,” Rublev said.