Wozniacki books last four with Peng

Federer sets up quarter-final meeting with Frenchman Monfils.

NEW YORK:

Former world number one Caroline Wozniacki and first-time grand slam semi-finalist Peng Shuai will meet for a place in the US Open title match after dominant victories on Tuesday.

Wozniacki, the runner-up at Flushing Meadows in 2009, dismissed 13th-seeded Italian Sara Errani 6-0, 6-1 and is back in the semi-finals of a major for the first time since the 2011 US Open.

China’s Peng, in the quarter-finals of a major for the first time in her 37th attempt, made similarly short work of Swiss teen Belinda Bencic 6-2, 6-1.

Peng joined two-time Grand Slam champion Li Na and Zheng Jie as the only Chinese to reach the last four of a Grand Slam.

“Thirty-seven times grand slam,” said Peng, then had to stop the thought as she struggled to contain her emotions after taking apart Bencic in just 64 minutes.

“It’s a little bit too exciting,” she said. “I love tennis, I love to play, but this achievement took a long time. It’s tough. Sometimes I’ve thought to give up and stop playing because I don’t know if I can make it or not.”



Wozniacki was similarly convincing on a windy night on Arthur Ashe Stadium court, where towels from the players’ chairs and stray plastic bags had to be corralled.

In a match between two players with an uncanny ability to extend rallies, Wozniacki’s 26 outright winners to the 12 of Errani made the difference.

“It was really tricky conditions with the wind but I tried to stay aggressive,” said Wozniacki. “It means so much to me. It’s been a pretty up and down year for me, and to be here in the semi-finals of the US Open again is just incredible.”

Federer advances, Dimitrov fizzles out

Five-time champion Roger Federer set up a US Open quarter-final blockbuster against eccentric French star Gael Monfils as the hugely-hyped new generation once again flopped.

Second seed Federer reached his 10th US Open quarter-final in the last 11 years with a comfortable 6-4, 6-3, 6-2 win over Spain’s Roberto Bautista Agut while Monfils, the 20th seed, reached his second New York last-eight stunning seventh-seeded Grigor Dimitrov 7-5, 7-6 (8/6), 7-5.

Federer, the 17-time major winner, leads Monfils 7-2 in career meetings, including their most recent clash in Cincinnati last month.

“Monfils has been playing some great tennis, he’s always very entertaining,” said Federer. “I’m sure we’ll see lots of retrieving by him and attacking by me.”

Meanwhile, Czech sixth seed Tomas Berdych reached the quarter-finals with a 6-1, 6-2, 6-4 win over Austria’s Dominic Thiem.

He will next tackle Croatia’s Marin Cilic for a place in the semi-finals after the 14th seeded Croatian reached his third US Open quarter-final with a 5-7, 7-6 (7/3), 6-4, 3-6, 6-3 win over France’s Gilles Simon.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 4^th, 2014.

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