Tennis Emcee. Andy Taylor. The Voice of the US Open
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Venus Williams def Petra Kvitova 63 36 76(2)
Deciding-set tiebreaks are the Quarterfinal trend at this year’s US Open. Sloane Stephens emerged from her’s the victor in the final match of the Day Session, becoming the first American through to the 2017 US Open Semifinals.
Venus Williams followed that up with a dramatic win of her own, befitting her 9-year rivalry with fellow mutiple Wimbledon Champ, Petra Kvitova. Petra started with a double fault on Tuesday night. Venus then dropped three double faults of her own, and fell behind a break before the first changeover. But make no mistake – that early, respect-fueled reticense quickly turned into a highly competitive match, jam-packed with highlights.
Venus surges in set-1. Kvitova dominates set-2
Despite being down an early break, Venus pieced together five consecutive games to take set-1. Petra was equally dominant in set-2, even after a 20-minute delay as rain forced tournament organizers to close the roof.
The gloves come off
Like in set-1, Petra earned the early edge with a break before the first sit-down. After the changeover, she immediately fell behind 0-40…but won five consecutive points to consolidate. Clutch. The fascade cracked in Petra’s next service game, however. Venus kept tightening the noose, and at 30-all, earned her first break point of the set. Petra crumbled. A double fault leveled the set. From there, both held through to the tiebreak. What a match.
In the breaker, Venus’ aggression and accuracy was unmatched. After trading the first two points, the 7-time Major Champion ripped-off five straight points. The entire stadium was on it’s feet; Venus Williams just a single point away from her third Grand Slam Semifinal of 2017, her first in New York since 2010. Staying true to the match, at quintuple match point…Venus double faulted, but answered with an aggressive drive that forced Kvitova to send a backhand wide.
An All-American Semifinal
The 2017 US Open’s first Semifinal is now set: Venus Williams vs Sloane Stephens. The last time two American women faced each other in the US Open Semifinals? 15 years ago in 2002. Lindsay Davenport and…Venus Williams. Poetic.
