Serena ready for Svitolina
challenge; Bencic eyes final berth
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[September 05, 2019]
By Frank Pingue
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Serena Williams
has a record-tying 24th career Grand Slam title in reach but will
face perhaps her toughest test so far at this year's U.S. Open when
she meets Ukrainian fifth seed Elina Svitolina in the semi-finals on
Thursday.
Williams needed just 44 minutes to complete her rout of China's Wang
Qiang, who was making her Grand Slam quarter-final debut, but she
knows a much tougher test awaits if she is to book a spot in
Saturday's final.
The eighth-seeded American has a 4-1 career record against Svitolina
but the Ukrainian has not lost a set in New York and beat Williams
in straight sets when they last met at the 2016 Rio Olympics.
"Well, she is obviously a fighter. She gets a lot of balls back. She
doesn't make a lot of mistakes," said Williams "She's one of those
players that does everything really well. So I have to do everything
well, too."
Since returning from maternity leave in 2018, Williams has had three
opportunities to draw level with Australian Margaret Court's Grand
Slam record but fell in the last two Wimbledon finals and last
year's U.S. Open final.
Svitolina, who said this week her win in Rio gave her the confidence
that she can go toe-to-toe with the game's best hitters, is
tenacious on court and chases down balls with an intensity that
could cause trouble for Williams.
"I played some big hitters in this tournament, a lot, and I have to
just react quickly with my feet and with my shots, as well," said
Svitolina, whose U.S. Open tune-up included quarter-final berths in
San Jose, Toronto and the last 16 in Cincinnati. "Then when I have
the opportunity, go for it."
[to top of second column] |
erena Williams of the USA celebrates match point against Qiang Wang
of China in a quarterfinal match on day nine of the 2019 U.S. Open
tennis tournament at USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center.
Mandatory Credit: Robert Deutsch-USA TODAY Sports
In the other women's semi-final, Swiss 13th seed Belinda Bencic, who
knocked out 2018 champion Naomi Osaka in the fourth round, will face
Canadian 15th seed Bianca Andreescu.
Bencic, who five years ago reached the U.S. Open quarter-finals as a
17-year-old, will be looking to make the most of her run after a
string of injuries interrupted her progress.
That it took so long for Bencic to finally reach a Grand Slam
semi-final when it had once seemed like such success would be a
certainty, she said she never lost faith during the arduous journey
even when it seemed most improbable.
"It's there like a dream always. Even when you are playing bad, you
want to come back to this feeling," said Bencic.
"You want to eventually get the big wins and have these nice
feelings. I think that's the motivation enough to keep going."
(Reporting by Frank Pingue; Editing by Greg Stutchbury)
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