US Open women’s SFs: The keys to victory

The semifinals are set, but what do the four women contesting for a spot in Saturday’s US Open final need to do to win? We take a look at the keys to both of Thursday’s semifinals.

Serena Williams [1] v Karolina Pliskova [10]

H2H: Williams leads 1-0
H2H hard court: Williams leads 1-0
Last meeting: Williams d. Pliskova 7-5 6-2 (Stanford 2014)
Williams US Open best result: Winner 1999, 2002, 2008, 2012, 2013, 2014
Pliskova US Open best result: 3R 2014

What Serena needs to do to win: Keep on keeping on. Serena faced her first real test of the US Open against Simona Halep in the quarterfinals, and she came through it with flying colours. For obvious reasons, Serena is the overwhelming favourite going into the semifinal. If the world No.1 brings her ‘A’ game, and her shoulder isn’t causing her problems, it’s going to take something special from Pliskova to stop her reaching another Flushing Meadows final.

What Pliskova needs to do to win: Play the match of her life. Karolina Pliskova has the weapons to win this match, but does she have the belief? Her massive serve (she has served more aces than any other WTA player) and heavy groundstrokes are enough to cause Serena a lot of problems. If the pressure of the occasion doesn’t get to her, and she can keep swinging freely at the ball, she has a chance of springing an upset.

Caroline Wozniacki v Angelique Kerber [2]

H2H: Kerber leads 7-5
H2H hard court: Wozniacki leads 5-4
Last meeting: Kerber d. Wozniacki 6-2 6-3 (Beijing 2015)
Wozniacki US Open best result: Runner-up 2009, 2014
Kerber US Open best result: Semifinal 2011, 2016

What Wozniacki needs to do to win: Keep believing. Nobody expected Wozniacki to go this deep at the US Open. Perhaps that freedom from the weight of expectation has helped her to play with a freedom and consistency that we have rarely seen from the world No.74 in 2016. If she can continue to play this brand of big swinging, attacking tennis (and there is no reason to think that she won’t), she could easily upset Kerber’s charge towards her first US Open final.

What Kerber needs to do to win: Keep attacking. Kerber has been riding a wave of tennis brilliance since January, and she needs to keep that going. She has the game, and the belief, to get the better of a resurgent Wozniacki. But will the chance of reaching her first US Open final – and potentially becoming world No.1 – start to weigh heavy on her shoulders? It hasn’t (so far). And if she can keep hitting big and stay positive if the going gets tough, she is the clear favourite to be playing in Saturday’s showpiece event.