NEW YORK – Venus Williams, seeking her first US Open title in nine years, moved one step away from the title match Tuesday by defeating Italy’s Francesca Schiavone 7-6 (5) 6-4.
“I want to be in the final because then obviously it’s just one more step,” Williams said. “But I’m just focused on the semis, and I don’t get too excited unless the tournament is over. So at this point I’m focusing on the semifinals.
This is her first trip to the semifinals at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center since 2007 and the first in a Grand Slam tournament since Wimbledon in 2009.
“I just like seeing ‘major’ by my name,” Williams said when asked about the possibility of winning a third US Open singles crown and eighth Grand Slam tournament title. “That’s what we work for. That’s what we all work for.”
Williams jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the first-set tie-break, only to have Schiavone capture the next four points. With a mini-break, Williams took a 5-4 lead and had the set on her racquet.
The French Open champion wasn’t ready to go away so quickly, however, and got the mini-break back, knotting the score at 5-5. It was to no avail and Williams won the next two points for the opening set. Going into the quarterfinal, Williams was 51-1 at the US Open when winning the first set.
Playing much more relaxed, Williams began to dominate in the second set, pounding her big ground strokes deep in the court, keeping Schiavone on the run and having to play defense. The American broke Schiavone early as she took a 4-1 lead.
Schiavone held to 4-2, then, using different spins, moving the ball around and getting a couple of breaks, took a 15-40 lead, double break point. Although Williams pulled to deuce, Schiavone gained another break point when she hit a backhand down the line that appeared to be going wide. Williams, who had been moving toward the net, stuck out her racquet and the ball ticked off the frame.
The Italian, fighting for every point, doing it with spins and placement instead of power, closed out the break and put the set back on serve when Williams drilled a ball into the net.
It made no difference. Williams broke right back, pounding her heavy ground strokes and controlling the points. An error or two from Schiavone helped as Williams moved one game away from victory.
Not so fast. A couple mistakes, capped by a double fault, gave Schiavone yet another break and the match continued.
“It wasn’t easy,” Williams said. “She played so well with a lot of spin and forehand slice. I had to wait for my opportunities.”
Schiavone netted a backhand to begin the 10th game. When Williams sailed a forehand long on the next point, it was 15-15. On the next point Williams raced in to get a short ball, then slammed a forehand right her opponent, the ball ricocheting off the Italian’s racquet and sailing wide. On match point, Williams slammed a forehand to Schiavone’s backhand at the baseline. Schiavone’s return sailed long and Williams was in the US Open semifinals for the seventh time.
The semifinals on the hard courts at Arthur Ashe Stadium was a regular stop for Williams at the beginning of her career. She reached the title match in her US Open debut in 1997, and reached at least the semifinals in each of her first six appearances.
“I’ve always played I think pretty well here,” Williams said. “Unfortunately I even missed a couple years here, so I’m sure that didn’t help my cause.
“Other than that I feel really comfortable here, and it’s great to come back to a place where I have won and a place where I’ve played well. Obviously in ’97, you know, my first big tournament.
“So all in all, I feel positive.”
While she hasn’t won a Grand Slam title since Wimbledon in 2008, the veteran has been one of the most consistent players in 2010 on the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour. Williams is one of only two women to reach the fourth round or better at all four majors this year, Denmark’s Caroline Wozniacki, who is seeded number one, being the other. She also is the first 30-year-old to gain the US Open women’s singles semis since Mary Pierce in 2005.
Earlier Tuesday Switzerland’s Stanislas Wawrinka advanced to the men’s quarterfinals when he outlasted American Sam Querrey 7-6 (9) 6-7 (5) 7-5 4-6 6-4.
“I play a good match,” Wawrinka said. “I think my serve was not really good today, but the rest was quite OK.”
Wawrinka’s victory kept alive the remote possibility of two Swiss players meeting for the men’s title. Wawrinka is in the top half of the draw, which is led by top-seeded Rafael Nadal of Spain. Roger Federer, seeking his sixth US Open crown in seven years, is in the bottom half of the draw.
In the quarterfinals, Wawrinka will take on Russia’s Mikhail Youzhny, a 7-5 6-2 4-6 6-4 winner over Spain’s Tommy Robredo.