Serena Williams has made it to the semi-finals of the US Open for the fourteenth time. The six-time winner in New York defeated the Bulgarian Tsvetana Pironkova 4-6, 6-3, 6-2.
Pironkova surprised Garbine Muguruza, Donna Vekic and Alizé Cornet on her return three years earlier and seemed on her way to a stunt against the 23-time Grand Slam winner, who is after Margaret Courts record (24 titles).
The 32-year-old Bulgarian initially looked fitter, moved more smoothly on the track than the six-year-older American and decided the first set a beautiful backhand, the weapon with which she also took the decisive break at 3-2.
The start of the second set did not bode well for Williams either, because the sometimes chugging and trudging American immediately lost her serve, but the game after that presented the turnaround.
Carelessness
Sloppiness crept into Pironkova’s previously almost flawless game, who returned her service with a forehand in the net and took the decisive break at 3-4, again with a poor forehand.
Pironkova was immediately broken in a marathon game in the third set and was unable to turn the tide. Williams, whose solid service (20 aces) and forehand returns were another mighty weapon, finished the job with a love game.
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