Serena Williams and Angelique Kerber try to line up their third Grand Slam title clash of 2016 on Thursday, taking on opponents hungry for a first major win in the U.S. Open semi-finals.
It was at the semi-final stage at Flushing Meadows last year that Williams crumbled under the pressure of chasing a rare calendar-year Grand Slam as she fell to eventual runner-up Roberta Vinci.
This year the stakes are different but still high. With Kerber in the last four, Williams must get past hard-hitting Czech Karolina Pliskova and into the final to retain her world number one ranking.
Serena Williams and Angelique Kerber will try to set up a third major title clash in 2016.Serena Williams and Angelique Kerber will try to set up a third major title clash in 2016.
If Kerber beats former world number one Caroline Wozniacki on Thursday night to advance, Williams will have to beat her in the final to extend her current reign atop the rankings to a record-breaking 187 weeks.
Williams is also seeking a seventh US Open title and a 23rd Grand Slam singles title — both of which would be Open era records.
After facing, and saving, just one break point in her first four matches, Williams overcame a stern quarter-final test from fifth-seeded Romanian Simona Halep on Wednesday to advance.
She kept her frustration in check as Halep fended off 12 break points in the second set, firing 18 aces to get through 6-2, 4-6, 6-3.
