That’s all for now. Thanks as always for following along with us here’s the match report for now:
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The last four on the women’s side is set. Williams will face the big-serving Karolína Plíšková (who won in today’s first quarter-final) in Thursday night’s first semi-final at Arthur Ashe Stadium shortly after 7pm local time. Caroline Wozniacki and Angelique Kerber will meet in the nightcap.
Williams wins third set and match!
Third set: Williams 6-2, 4-6, 6-3 Halep* (*denotes next server)
Three quick points by Williams set up triple match point. Halep saves the first with a brilliant running backhand winner, but Halep blinks on a forehand and it’s game, set, match for Williams. The oldest No. 1 in history has now gone semis or better at the last nine major tournaments.
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Third set: *Williams 6-2, 4-6, 5-3 Halep (*denotes next server)
Four straight unforced errors by Williams – Serena’s 40th, 41st, 42nd and 43rd – give Halep the love hold. Williams will now try to serve it out and book a place in the semis.
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Third set: Williams 6-2, 4-6, 5-2 Halep* (*denotes next server)
Williams opens with a 117mph ace down the middle, followed by a netted backhand by Halep to make it 30-love. Another missed backhand by Halep makes it 40-love and a netted backhand by the Romanian from the baseline gives Williams the hold at love. Halep will now serve to stay in the tournament.
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Third set: *Williams 6-2, 4-6, 4-2 Halep (*denotes next server)
Another unforced error – Serena’s 38th, compared to 17 for Halep – gives Halep the opening point. But another winner – Serena’s 47th, compared to 18 for Halep – levels the score. At 30-all, Williams badly misses a backhand. Then Halep crushes a forehand winner from the baseline to seal the hold.
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Third set: Williams 6-2, 4-6, 4-1 Halep* (*denotes next server)
Williams races out to a 40-love advantage – she’s won seven straight points – before Halep pulls back two. But she commits an unforced error allowing Williams to consolidate the break for a commanding 4-1 lead.
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Williams breaks in fourth game of third set!
Third set: *Williams 6-2, 4-6, 3-1 Halep (*denotes next server)
The in-house cameras show Odell Beckham Jr and Draymond Green taking in the match side by side during the changeover. Halep opens the game with a forehand winner, but Williams rattles off four very quick points for a stealthy break of serve. That could prove criticial – and it happened in the blink of an eye.
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Third set: Williams 6-2, 4-6, 2-1 Halep* (*denotes next server)
A wonderfully defended point by Halep capped by a forehand volley winner makes it 15-love, but Williams levels by forcing her opponent into an error. Williams wins the next two points: 103mph ace out wide followed by a Halep error to cap a 15-stroke rally. A forehand winner seals the hold.
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Third set: *Williams 6-2, 4-6, 1-1 Halep (*denotes next server)
At 15-all, Halep dials in her first ace of the night, then forces Williams into a backhand error for 40-15. A nervy double fault makes it 40-30. An even nervier double fault moves it to deuce. Gut-check time here. A fifth straight fault gives Williams a look at Halep’s second serve, but Williams’s return goes flying and Halep has game point. Williams sends another forehand well past the baseline and Halep escapes with the hold.
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Third set: Williams 6-2, 4-6, 1-0 Halep* (*denotes next server)
Sluggish start to the decider by Williams. She quickly falls behind love-30 before dialing in a 115mph ace down the middle, but Halep hits a forehand winner for double break point. Williams saves them both then hits a forehand winner for game point, but Halep answers with a backhand winner for deuce. Another forehand winner by Williams followed by a backhand volley winner to seal the hard-won hold.
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Halep wins second set!
Second set: Williams 6-2, 4-6 Halep
Forehand winner for Halep, backhand winner for Williams. Forehand winner by Williams and Halep feeling pressure at 15-30. Halep levels it at 30-all but commits an unforced error to give Williams a break point for 5-all. A fault and Williams creeps up past the baseline in anticipation of Halep’s second serve. And now Williams nets a return on Halep’s second serve! Deuce. Williams sprays a forehand – and challenges it unsuccessfully – to give Halep a second set point but Williams saves it. Deuce again. Now another error by Halep gives Williams a second break-point chance, but Halep saves it with a forehand winner. Deuce No3. Halep has now saved all nine break points she’s faced. Another unforced error by Williams gives Halep a third set point, but Williams hits a forehand volley winner to return it to deuce once again. Forced error from the forehand side by Halep gives Williams another break-point opportunity, but another unforced error by Williams returns it to deuce for a fifth time. Epic game, this. A Williams error gives Halep a third set point in this game (and fourth overall) but Williams drives a forehand winner to snuff it out. Another forehand winner by Williams sets up break point but Halep saves it again! Williams now 0-for-11 on break points. Forehand winner by Williams sets up the fifth break point of this game, but Halep’s forehand winner erases it – again! – to bring it back to deuce. A fist pump by Halep! Another mistake of aggression by Williams gives Halep a set point and this time Williams sends a backhand long to give Halep the second set after a marathon 22-point game. We’re headed to a decider here at Arthur Ashe Stadium!
Second set: Williams 6-2, 4-5 Halep* (*denotes next server)
Williams wins the opening point with a backhand winner that Halep challenges unsuccessfully, exhausting her final appeal of the set. At 30-all, Williams sprays a forehand and Halep will have a set point on the top seed’s serve. She saves it when Halep misses badly on a backhand. Then Williams moves to a game point on a forced error, but follows it with a double fault for deuce. A booming ace gives Williams another game point and she escapes with the hold by forcing Halep into a error. Halep to serve for the second set.
Second set: *Williams 6-2, 3-5 Halep (*denotes next server)
Crucial service game for Halep and Williams strikes first with a forehand winner. But Halep rattles off four straight points – the third on a nifty backhand winner – to hold for 5-3. Williams to serve to stay in the second set.
Second set: Williams 6-2, 3-4 Halep* (*denotes next server)
Williams with a love hold in what seems like under a minute. Caps it with a 105mph ace down the middle. But needs to make headway on Halep’s serve soon or we’re heading for a decider.
Second set: *Williams 6-2, 2-4 Halep (*denotes next server)
A stress-free hold by Halep aided by more Williams miscues. Here’s a stat to monitor: Williams has 24 unforced errors compared to just 10 for Halep.
Second set: Williams 6-2, 2-3 Halep* (*denotes next server)
Williams falls behind love-30 on her serve but responds with a 102mph ace out wide. An unforced error by Halep and another ace by Williams, this one 123mph down the T, gives the American a game point. Halep wins a point for deuce but Williams hits another ace to move within a point of the game. This time she gets the hold after forcing Halep into an error.
Second set: *Williams 6-2, 1-3 Halep (*denotes next server)
Halep with three quick points on short rallies to race ahead 40-love. Williams pulls two back on a pair of winners but another error gives Halep the hold.
Halep breaks in third game of second set!
Second set: Williams 6-2, 1-2 Halep* (*denotes next server)
Halep rattles off two quick points on Williams’s second serve. They then trade points for 15-40 to give Halep two looks at a break. Signs of life? Williams’s response: 117mph ace down the middle, 109mph ace down the middle, 122mph ace down the middle. Demoralizing. Halep moves it back to deuce with a backhand winner then gets another look at a break point when Williams double faults, but a forced error by Halep brings it back to deuce. Now it’s Halep, down but not out, who gets the best of Williams on a 20-stroke rally to stake her fourth break-point chance of the game. This time Halep needn’t do a thing as Williams double faults to gift her the service break.
Second set: *Williams 6-2, 1-1 Halep (*denotes next server)
A forehand winner by Williams followed by a missed forehand by Halep – which caroms off the Chase insignia hanging from the net – makes it love-30. Danger zone. Then Williams crushes a forehand winner, which Halep challenges unsuccessfully, for triple break point. Halep saves all three on Williams’s 11th, 12th and 13th unforced errors. An 18-stroke rally at deuce ends when Williams touches a drop-shot winner and she’ll have a fourth chance for a break, but Halep saves that too. Forehand winner by Williams sets up a fifth break-point chance, but Halep erases it with an emphatic forehand winner from the middle of the court. A forehand winner by Williams sets up a sixth break point, but a backhand winner by Halep snuffs it out. An error by Serena gives Halep a game point, but Halep errs to return it to deuce. Forehand volley winner by Williams and she will have a seventh chance for a service break, but it’s over quickly as Williams dumps a backhand into the net. Deuce again. Halep hits a winner into the open court and she will have a game point (again!). This time she finally holds to end a game that spans 18 points and nearly 10 minutes. A nice fightback from love-40 down from Halep.
Second set: Williams 6-2, 1-0 Halep* (*denotes next server)
Williams follows an unforced error with a forehand winner. Then another error by Williams makes it 15-30 and give Halep a half-chance, but it’s quickly brushed away as Williams rattles off three quick points for the hold.
Williams breaks in eighth game and wins first set!
First set: Williams 6-2 Halep
Another error by Halep followed by a double fault and the Romanian finds herself down love-30. She pulls one back but then Williams forces an error and all of a sudden has a pair of set points. She only needs one: a forehand volley winner gives her the opening set in 33 minutes.
First set: Williams 5-2 Halep* (*denotes next server)
Williams pounds a 99mph ace out wide before committing an unforced error to make it 15-all. Three quick points from there and the world No1 has another stress-free hold. Now Halep will serve to stay in the first set.
Williams breaks in sixth game of first set!
First set: *Williams 4-2 Halep (*denotes next server)
A forehand volley winner and a forehand winner by Williams put Halep in a love-30 hole. Halep responds with a gorgeous backhand winner down the line then forces Williams into an error for 30-all. Williams gets the best of a 20-shot rally – the longest of the match – to stake a break-point chance but Halep saves it. Deuce. Halep wins the next point to move within a point of the game, but Williams brings it back to deuce by coming to the net and hitting a pretty drop-shot winner. An unforced error by Halep gives Williams another look at a break point, but Halep responds with her best point of the match with a forehand winner to cap an 11-shot rally and bring it back to deuce. An unforced error by Williams on a backhand volley gives Halep another game point, but Williams wins the next point. Deuce No4. Another unforced error by Halep – her sixth of the night – gives Serena her third break-point opportunity of the game. And Halep double faults on the 14th point of the game! Not the best time for that.
Halep breaks in fifth game of first set!
First set: Williams 3-2 Halep* (*denotes next server)
Now a chance for Halep as Williams double faults then commits an unforced error from the baseline to fall behind love-30 on her serve. Serena wins a point, but Halep wins the next to make it 15-40 and earn a pair of break-point opportunities. Halep sends a backhand from the baseline long – and challenges it unsuccessfully – to squander the first. But Williams’s seventh unforced error of the match on the following point gives Halep a much needed service break. Back on serve in the first.
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First set: *Williams 3-1 Halep (*denotes next server)
Another unforced error by Halep off the backhand side makes it love-15, but Halep works gets the best of Williams on a 13-shot rally to level the score. Two more quick points by Halep from the baseline make it 40-15. She double faults on the next point but escapes with the hold to get on the board by forcing Williams into a forehand error.
First set: Williams 3-0 Halep* (*denotes next server)
Consecutive unforced errors by Halep followed by a 118mph ace down the middle and a 109mph ace out wide. Elementary love hold and Williams is halfway to the first set a scant six minutes in.
Williams breaks in second game of first set!
First set: *Williams 2-0 Halep (*denotes next server)
In the blink of an eye Halep is down love-40 on her serve. Three break points for Williams. Halep saves the first two but makes an unforced error from the forehand side on the third and the world No1 is up an early break.
First set: Williams 1-0 Halep* (*denotes next server)
Halep wins the toss and elects to return first. A few misses from the ground early for Williams and it’s 30-all. But she follows with consecutive aces out wide, 99pmh and 112mph, the seal the hold.
The players are out for their warm-ups. We should be underway shortly. And if you’re looking for an alternative option for commentary, Andy Roddick will be sharing his thoughts on Periscope. What a world.
“I just think with everyone I play, they play a step up and above their ranking,” Williams said after Monday’s fourth-round win over Yaroslava Shvedova. “I think that’s the beauty, one of the reasons I’m able to hang. Everyone I’m playing is playing like they’re No1. To me it doesn’t really matter who I play because I have to expect they’re going to play the match of their life. That’s how I go into these matches now.”
Hello and welcome to Arthur Ashe Stadium for tonight’s final women’s quarter-final between Serena Williams and Simona Halep. There’s no question who the favorite is tonight. Williams, the 22-times grand slam champion and a six-times winner here at Flushing Meadows, holds a 7-1 edge in the head-to-head series and will have a capacity crowd at the world’s biggest tennis stadium in her corner.
“It’s gonna be a big challenge, and I have just to play my game, to be aggressive,” says Halep of tonight’s tall ask. “Because otherwise I have no chance.”
Bryan will be here shortly. In the meantime here’s Michael Eboda’s comment from earlier today on why Serena is the greatest sportsperson ever.
One look at this list, and it’s pretty easy to see what they each have in common: Muhammad Ali, Diego Maradona, Pelé, Michael Jordan, Usain Bolt, Jack Nicklaus, Sir Donald Bradman, Roger Federer.
Whenever the topic of who is the greatest sportsperson of all time comes up for discussion, these are the usual suspects. And there’s no denying that each and every one of them bestrode, or bestrides, their sport in a way most of their competitors have never come close to.
Of course, there’s something else they all share: gender. Traditionally, when we talk of sporting achievement at this level, no female athlete receives a mention – until, that is, earlier this week. In an advertising campaign timed to coincide with the US Open tennis championships, the sportswear giant Nike threw a new name into the argument: Serena Williams.
The first reaction of most people when you concede publicly that Nike may have a point is one of derision and dismissal. “Serena, in the same class as Pelé? You’re mad!” But then, as they listen to the case for the American’s inclusion in such elite company, they begin to realise that it’s not such a preposterous notion after all.
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