Venus beats Kvitova to reach US Open semis

Published by Matt Trollope

Venus Williams celebrates her quarterfinal victory over Petra Kvitova at the US Open; Getty Images
In an incredible contest, Venus Williams pipped Petra Kvitova in a third-set tiebreak to advance to the semifinals of the US Open.

Venus Williams on Tuesday night overcame Petra Kvitova in arguably the match of the tournament to reach the semifinals of the US Open.

Williams, at age 37, outslugged her younger rival 6-3 3-6 7-6(2) to set up an all-American battle with Sloane Stephens in the last four.

RELATED: Stephens storms into semifinals

Williams trailed by a break in the third set yet rallied to victory in two hours and 34 minutes, just her second win over the Czech in six career meetings.

But the more compelling stat – all six of their matches have extended three sets.

“I have to say I felt every single one of you guys behind me, all 23,000,” Williams said to huge cheers on Arthur Ashe Stadium. “I mean that feels good. It feels amazing. And I didn’t want to let you guys down. Thank you so much for the support.

“Everything that she’s gone through, to go through that is unbelievable. You don’t imagine that you’re gonna wake up one day and that’s gonna happen. So it’s so wonderful to see her back and playing amazing.

“I was excited to be able to play her. I’m so fortunate to have won that match – it came down to the wire. And I hope we have more matches like that.”

US OPEN SMASHTALK: is American tennis back?

Williams may not have been feeling so positive about the encounter in the early stages, when she fell behind 3-1 after Kvitova broke her serve in the third game of the match.

But in a stunning reversal, Williams reeled off the next five straight games to take the first set, her steadiness proving decisive against the erratic lefty.

Kvitova broke early in the second set and survived a 15-40 deficit to hold for 3-0, at which point rain fell and the roof closed – conditions which were expected to favour the Czech.

In the fifth and seventh games Williams again held break points only for Kvitova to serve her way out of trouble, and not long after building a 5-2 lead, she’d sent the match into a third set.

Her best level was higher than Venus’; her serve was more effective, her backcourt power superior. But she couldn’t match Williams’s consistency, despite breaking serve early – as she did in all sets on Tuesday night – with a return winner and a backhand winner.

Venus threatened to break straight back when she led 0-40, only for Kvitova to produce some her her best serving of the match, winning five straight points and acing Williams out wide on the last of those to push ahead 3-1.

Yet again, Williams hit back, winning three straight games. From there the match went game for thrilling game on serve until the tiebreak.

In a tense ninth game featuring four deuces and some of the match’s more exciting exchanges, Williams was tested on serve before finally holding for 5-4.

And when the tiebreak began, Venus handled the occasion far better, playing intelligent tennis and constructing points well while gifted a number of errors from Kvitova.

FEATURE: Sloane Stephens – back on track and better than ever?

Williams first made the semifinals her a staggering 20 years ago, part of her run to the 1997 final. This is her ninth trip to the last four at Flushing Meadows, yet first since 2010, where she was stopped by Kim Clijsters.

This year, however, she’ll face the untested Stephens, just five events into her comeback from a foot injury and at this stage of the US Open for the very first time.

“There was a time in tennis where all of my rivals were all American – (Jennifer) Capriati, (Lindsay) Davenport, and Monica Seles,” Williams said.

“So I love seeing these young Americans coming up and playing big and focused and I would love all that again – like (being) the top four, top five in the world and we’re playing each other in semifinals (of Grand Slams), that would be huge. I would love that.”

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