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SPORTS Thursday 7 sepTember 2017

Nadal into U.S. Open semifinals;

American Vandeweghe wins

By BRIAN MAHONEY unforced errors and sev- in a later generation or
AP Sports Writer en double faults. be those,” Vandeweghe
NEW YORK (AP) — Rafael Earlier, CoCo Vandewe- said.
Nadal powered into the ghe made it three Amer- “Now that we’re older,
U.S. Open semifinals and icans into the U.S. Open we can put that into
kept alive the possibility women’s semifinals, words, but we all want-
for a matchup with Rog- beating top-seeded Kar- ed to be there.”
er Federer, overwhelm- olina Pliskova 7-6 (4), 6-3. Vandeweghe raced to
ing Russian teenager An- The 20th-seeded a 3-0 lead in the first-set
drey Rublev 6-1, 6-2, 6-2 Vandeweghe matched tiebreaker, then got an
on Wednesday. her best result in a Grand early break in the sec-
The top-seeded Nadal Slam tournament, hav- ond set on her way to
wrapped up the rout in ing also reached the 3-1 lead, frustrating last
just over 90 minutes, then semifinals of the Austra- year’s runner-up with her
waited to see if he would lian Open in January be- powerful shots.
finally face his longtime fore falling to Venus Wil- Pliskova, who lost to An-
rival in the only Grand liams. gelique Kerber in the
Slam tournament where Williams is also into the 2016 final, needed to
they have never met. semifinals in Flushing get back to the final to
Federer was to play No. Meadows along with remain atop the WTA
24 seed Juan Martin del Sloane Stephens, and rankings.
Potro later Wednesday No. 15 Madison Keys had She will be replaced on
in a matchup of former a chance to make it an Monday by Wimbledon
champions. all-American final four if champion Garbine Mu-
This is the sixth time at she beats 418th-ranked guruza, who lost in the
the U.S. Open that Nadal qualifier Kaia Kanepi in a fourth round.
and Federer have each night match. “I think I had quite high
been one victory away The Americans haven’t expectations, and obvi- Rafael Nadal, of Spain, celebrates after winning his match
from a matchup of the had all four semifinalists ously I knew I had quite against Andrey Rublev, of Russia, during the quarterfinals of the
men who own the most at the U.S. Open since an OK draw, so there was U.S. Open tennis tournament, Wednesday, Sept. 6, 2017, in New
York.
Grand Slam titles. 1981, when Tracy Austin nobody, like, unbeat- Associated Press
“It’s something a little beat Martina Navratilo- able for me,” Pliskova
bit strange that we va for the title. said. “Even this match who comes from a deco- at the Olympics.
never played here, be- Chris Evert and Barbara today was not without rated athletic family and CoCo dropped to her
cause we played a lot Potter also made the chance, so maybe I put is finally making a name knees and looked up-
of times in all the impor- semifinals. too much expectation of her own this year. ward after match point,
tant events around the Vandeweghe echoed on myself.” Nine years after winning saying afterward she
world,” Nadal said in an Williams’ comments from The Czech had been the U.S. Open junior ti- was thinking of her fam-
interview on the court. after her quarterfinal vic- starting slowly during the tle, she finally got past ily.
Nadal did his part eas- tory, thinking back to the tournament, dropping a major quarterfinal in “I think what really was
ily, breaking the 19-year- last generation of Ameri- the first set in the second Australia, then needed going through my mind
old Rublev’s serve seven can women that, along and third round before only eight months to do in that moment was I’m
times. with Venus and Serena overwhelming unseed- it again. a big believer that my
Rublev was the youngest Williams, included Lind- ed American Jennifer Her grandfather, Ernie, grandparents are still
U.S. Open quarterfinalist say Davenport and Jen- Brady in 46 minutes on and uncle, Kiki, both with me,” she said.
since Andy Roddick was nifer Capriati. Monday. played in the NBA, and “It was more just looking
also 19 in 2001 but he “I think that still holds of, But she couldn’t mount her mother, Tauna, rep- up and feeling the love
didn’t give himself much you know, we wanted to any sort of comeback resented the U.S. in both of everything that was
chance, committing 43 be those same players against Vandeweghe, swimming and volleyball going on.”q