US Open PHOTOS: Williams fights off Halep to reach semis

September 08, 2016 08:22 IST

Serena Williams

IMAGE: Serena Williams of the United States returns a shot to Simona Halep of Romania during their women's singles qarter-finals Match on Day Ten of the 2016 US Open at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. Photograph: Alex Goodlett/Getty Images.

Simona Halep did something no one else was able to do against Serena Williams at the US Open on Wednesday but still could not stop the world number one from advancing to the semi-finals of the year's final Grand Slam.

The scrappy fifth seeded Romanian managed to take the first break points from Williams during the Flushing Meadows fortnight and the only set surrendered by the top seed but at the end of the day the result was the same, the 34-year-old American walking off court with a 6-2, 4-6, 6-3 win.

Simona Halep

IMAGE: Simona Halep of Romania returns a shot to Serena Williams of the United States . Photograph: Alex Goodlett/Getty Images.

What had appeared to be a straight sets stroll into the last four for Williams turned into a tense battle when Halep dug in during a wildly entertaining second set that saw the Romanian fend off all 12 break points she faced.

But Williams, playing in her 46th grand slam quarter-final, would not be shaken and took the only break to go up 3-1 in the decider and then serve out for the win.

Williams will now face 10th seeded Czech Karolina Pliskova, a 6-2, 6-2 winner over Croatian teenager Ana Konjuh, for a place in Saturday's final.

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