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 History would heavily favor Williams in the U.S. Open semi-finals on
Thursday at Flushing Meadows.
She owns 21 grand slam singles titles, which is 21 more than the
other three players combined, and is gunning for her seventh U.S.
Open singles trophy while the others are straining to reach their
first U.S. final.
Unfancied Italians Flavia Pennetta and Roberta Vinci have also made
just one grand slam singles semi-final between them before, while
world number two Simona Halep has made the semi-final stage at just
two other grand slams.
The 32-year-old Vinci, ranked 43rd, will meet Williams, who has won
their four previous meetings, including the most recent last month
in the quarter-finals at Toronto.
"She played me really tough, and I didn't really expect that," said
Williams, who has won 53 of 55 matches this year and won the
Australian, French and Wimbledon titles.
"I'm not going to underestimate her. She played really well. She's
not in the semi-finals of a grand slam for no reason. She knows what
to do and she knows what to play.
"Definitely a little bit more old school ... it's fun to see people
that can still come to the net and still hit slice and still hit
one-handers. It's different. It's good for tennis."
Vinci, who has won 25 doubles titles in her career, is 22-20 in
singles matches and without a singles title this season.
She is already thrilled by her performances in New York.
"I think I'm at the end of my career, so my semi-final, first (slam)
semi-final, it's incredible," said the 32-year-old.
"I'm very proud of myself. I have nothing to lose, just play my
game.
"I know that I have a lot of experience, but when you play against
Serena doesn't matter.
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"You have to play better, then better, then better."
Pennetta, 33, also draws a difficult assignment against Halep. The
Italian has a 3-1 career edge, but lost 6-3 7-5 in their last
encounter earlier this year in Miami.
The veteran said she would not overlook the power of the short,
quick-footed Romanian, who she rated as more powerful than former
world number one Victoria Azarenka, who fell in three sets to Halep
in the quarter-finals.
"To make a winner to her you have to finish the point seven times,"
Pennetta said. "She's always there, always in - the ball always
comes back."
Halep, who has won three times this year, lost in the second round
at the French Open, where she was runner-up in 2014, and beaten in
the first round at Wimbledon.
That led her to take a hiatus before rediscovering her form on the
hardcourts running up to the U.S. Open.
"I don't have big muscles. I'm not tall. I have power inside," Halep
said. "I fight.
"Every point is a big challenge. I do everything I can. I run for
every ball, and that makes me stronger in this moment."
(Editing by Greg Stutchbury)
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