Venus-Serena Showdown for Trip to Semis Highlights Day Nine Action in Flushing Meadows
Day Nine of the 2015 U.S. Open will feature two spots in the men’s and women’s semifinals on the line, as the field further narrows and the final Grand Slam of 2015 comes to a conclusion.
The main event under the lights at Arthur Ashe Stadium at 7:00 p.m. EST will feature world number one Serena Williams facing her sister, 35-year-old Venus Williams for a shot at the semifinals. Serena and Venus have met 25 times, with Serena holding a 15-11 advantage overall, including 8-5 at Grand Slams. At the U.S. Open, their series is tied 2-2. While Serena won their last meeting, on grass at 2015 Wimbledon, Venus won their last hardcourt meeting, just over a year ago, in the semifinals at Montreal.
“It's not very easy,” said Serena of having to play her older sister. “Like I said, for me, Venus is the only player in the draw I don't want to play, not only because she's my sister, but for me she's the best player. It's not easy. I would rather lose to Venus as opposed to anyone else.”
Serena is making her 16th appearance at the U.S. Open since her debut in 1998, while 2015 marks the 17th appearance for Venus at the U.S. Open, the most of any player in the draw.
“I feel like that's what we always wanted growing up, just to be out there on the big stage duking it out when someone named Williams will win,” said Venus.
Play begins for the men with reigning champ Marin Cilic putting his 11-match tournament win streak on the line against the 19th-seeded Jo-Wilfried Tsonga of France and continues under the lights of Arthur Ashe Stadium with world number one and 2011 U.S. Open winner Novak Djokovic facing the 18th-seeded Feliciano Lopez, his fifth opponent in as many rounds who has never beaten him before.
Cilic, the defending U.S. Open champ, has won his last three matches and six sets against Tsonga, whose only tour-level victory in their rivalry came at ATP Masters 1000 Cincinnati four years ago. A return to Flushing Meadows has served the big-serving Cilic well. The Croat came into the U.S. Open with a 4-4 record on hard courts in 2015 and he’s played 14 tournaments since his last final, defeating Roberto Bautista Agut for the Moscow title last October. Tsonga missed the Australian Open with a right arm injury and did not make his season debut until March. He enters the quarterfinals with holds in all 56 of his service games at the U.S. Open, saving the only two break points he’s faced against Sergiy Stakhovsky in the third round. Tsonga is seeking a semifinal berth at the U.S. Open for the first time in his seventh tournament appearance.
“He's a good player. He beat me a few times in the past on big matches,” said Tsonga. “For me, it's going to be important to prepare for this match as well as possible and try to find a way to go through.”
In the evening match, Djokovic plays in his 26th consecutive Grand Slam quarterfinal, third only in the Open Era to Roger Federer (36) and Jimmy Connors (27). Djokovic is through to the U.S. Open quarters for the ninth consecutive year overall. He is 8-0 in U.S. Open quarterfinal matches, winning all of those matches in three or four sets. Lopez won only one set in five prior matches against Djokovic, who entered the U.S. Open having reached 10 straight finals on tour (longest streak since Federer’s 11 in 2006). Lopez is through to his first U.S. Open quarterfinal in his 14th consecutive appearance at Flushing Meadows.
“When Novak plays good, you don't know what to do to be honest,” said Lopez. “He has no weaknesses in his game. I just have to try my best, take my chances, enjoy this match in the biggest court in the world against the best player in the world. This is what I have to do.”
The women also further narrow their draw, as two semifinal matches highlight Tuesday’s action.
Kicking the day off on Ashe, it will be a battle between Kristina Mladenovic of France and Italy’s Roberta Vinci. Vinci is making her 13th appearance at the U.S. Open since making her Grand Slam main draw debut in 2001. She was unseeded in Flushing Meadows for the first time since 2010. Vinci is aiming to reach the semifinals for the first time at a Grand Slam. Mladenovic is bidding to become the first Frenchwoman to reach the semis at the U.S. Open since Amelie Mauresmo in 2006 and at any Slam since Marian Bartoli’s title run at Wimbledon in 2013. Her previous best Grand Slam result was reaching the third round of the U.S. Open in 2012, as well as round three at Roland Garros in 2014 and 2015, and Wimbledon 2015.
Click here for the complete Day Nine action at the 2015 U.S. Open.
