Pliskova beats Venus in a thriller

Venus Williams has squandered a match point and lost in the fourth round of the US Open to a player a dozen years younger than her, 10th-seeded Karolina Pliskova of the Czech Republic.

Pliskova reached the first Grand Slam quarterfinal of her career by coming back to edge seven-time major champion Williams 4-6 6-4 7-6(3) on Monday in Arthur Ashe Stadium.

Williams led 6-4 3-1 before the Czech roared back to send the match into a third.

The 24-year-old Pliskova had never been past the third round in 17 previous appearances at majors.

“I hope people will stop (discussing my Grand Slam struggles). And even if they will discuss in the future, I don’t care anymore,” Pliskova laughed.

At 36, Williams was trying to become the oldest grand slam quarterfinalist since Martina Navratilova was 37 at Wimbledon in 1994.

Pliskova held a 40-0 lead and three match points when serving for the match at 6-5 in the third, but came through in the ensuing tiebreak.

“She stopped missing shots at the end of the third set so I knew I had to be the one who was dictating the points,” Pliskova said.

“I couldn’t be mad that I didn’t make it (those match points) because I still had a chance to win the tiebreak.

“To win matches like this, it takes some time and you need to have experience on the big stages and big tournaments.

“I would say with the years and experience I’m feeling better on this stage and against the top players.”

Pliskova will in the last eight face No.4 seed Agnieszka Radwanska, if the Pole can get past dangerous Croatian youngster Ana Konjuh.

Radwanska and Konjuh will play in the second match of the Monday night session in New York.