US Open: It Was the Semi-Final of Endless Volleys

Published on 8-Sep-2017 by J Square Humboldt

Tennis    Tennis Daily Review

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US Open: It Was the Semi-Final of Endless Volleys

For the first time since 2002, the US Open women's final won't feature a Williams sister.

An American is still assured of winning, though, because all four semi-finalists were Yanks:

  • Madison Keys made short work of Coco Vendeweghe, 6-1 6-2, and
  • Sloane Stephens outlasted Venus Williams, 6-1, 0-6, 7-5.

This is a particularly eventful tourney for Stephens, who entered unseeded and on the comeback trail after an 11-month absence due to a foot injury.

To say the third set's drama came outta nowhere doesn't do its appearance justice.

It was preceded by the combatants splitting lopsided results, but both then rose to the occasion in a wild deciding finale. Stephens was down, 5-4, before storming back to earn a berth in the final.

Both players are baseliners, which gave rise to a couple of marathon volleys in the third set, with one going 16 shots and the other an extremely athletic 25.

They obviously dominated the highlight package, along with the point that set up Stephens' coup de grace:

Riveting stuff.

The 37-year-old Williams thus exits the Slam season having reached two finals, this semi-final, and climbing to No 9 in the WTA rankings.

Stephens will join Keys in making their first Grand Slam final, a moment that may mark the torch being passed from the Williams sisters to the next generation of American stars.

That is, if they and Vandeweghe can keep it up. Venus and Serena most likely agree with this assessment.