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The semifinals begin Thursday at the US Open. These are five scenarios to watch on Day 11 in New York.
One wonders if Venus Williams and her team took copious notes in her defeat against Elina Svitolina in the second round, against 6-4 and 6-4, while her sister Serena is about to face the number 5 worldwide. Serena, the favorite of this semifinal game, will probably not need help, but a little more game planning will not hurt anyone. Serena is on assignment at this year's US Open. In addition to her draw against Caty McNally, 17, she dismantled the competition. In the quarter-finals, she inflicted one of the all-time successes at the 18th seed, Wang Qiang, winning 6-1, 6-0 in 44 minutes. Svitolina, who has not yet dropped a single set, should provide the most difficult test so far for the Grand Champion 23 times. Serena is 4-1 against Ukraine, but lost her last game at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games.
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The first double Grand Slam title for superstar duo Ashleigh Barty and Victoria Azarenka is on the horizon. Top singles players competing in doubles are huge for the sport because big names fill the stadiums, no matter the format. In addition to the iconic team of Williams sisters, Barty and Azarenka are the first holders of Grand Slam singles titles to win a major doubles trophy since Martina Hingis and Mary Pierce at Roland Garros. Barty and Azarenka are the big favorites of the semifinal against Viktoria Kuzmova and Alexandra Sasnovich.
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Tennis writers around the world are short of superlatives to describe the Canadian phenomenon Bianca Andreescu. At 19, he is in the line of arrival of a historic season, a remarkable 43-4 on the year. In January, Andreescu participated in 125k WTA level tournaments. She is now at a game of her first major final. Keep in mind that this is his fourth career appearance in the Grand Slam main draw. His opponent Friday will surely be his most difficult test so far of the tournament. Belinda Bencic is brimming with talent, recording eight wins in the top 10 of the season. The first meeting between the Canadian and the Swiss promises to entertain. Both players have an arsenal of weapons. But Andreescu has not lost a competitive match since February and has won 12 stunning victories in three sets.
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Despite defeating Bianca Andreescu in three sets, Elise Mertens will leave New York head high – and possibly a trophy. The Belgian doubles this week and qualifies for the quarter-finals of singles and semi-finals of doubles. Mertens and his partner Aryna Sabalenka crashed the competition this week and did not lose a set en route to the final four. The two men will face the somewhat surprised team of Vania King and Caroline Dolehide. The American duo combines youth and power with a savvy experience and championships. In 2010, King won two Grans Slam titles with his partner, Yaroslava Shvedova. Dolehide crushes the ball, while King provides some of the best hands in the game. Mertens and Sabalenka, winners of the "Sunshine Double" in Indian Wells and Miami, are the favorites of this game, but the raucous crowd pro-American will make his best to pass King and Dolehide to the final round.
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It seems that Kevin Krawietz and Andreas Mies have finally lost their title after the Grand Slam. The German duo went just 2-8 after capturing the Roland Garros crown. Obviously, it took them time to adjust to the new target they had on their backs. Krawietz and Mies defeated Marcel Granollers and Pablo Cuevas in the second round of Wimbledon last year, but have yet to face Granollers and his new partner Horacio Zeballos. With 13 titles, Zeballos is an accomplished double player. Despite his four singles titles, Granollers is a bit of a doubles specialist. The Spaniard holds 18 titles in doubles, the most recent being Zeballos in Montreal.
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Wake up every morning with Tennis Channel Live at the US Open from 8:00 am ET. During the three hours leading up to the start of the game, the Tennis Channel team will screen upcoming games, review tournament scenarios and focus on Flushing Meadows.
Coverage of the Tennis Channel TV reminder will start each evening at 11 pm AND, with the exception of previous departures on Saturday and Sunday of the championship weekend.
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