Serena Williams and Caroline Wozniacki arranged a showdown in the 2014 U.S. Open women's final after getting past their respective opponents on Friday at Arthur Ashe Stadium.
Williams continued her dominance as she rolled on to an easy 6-1, 6-3 win against 17th-seeded Ekaterina Makarova of Russia in their semifinal showdown.
The top-seeded Williams was hardly threatened for the entire match, and the 17-time Grand Slam champion is now one win away from winning her sixth title at Flushing Meadows.
"I'm just really excited to be in the final. In the beginning of the week I definitely wasn't sure I would make it this long. Definitely wasn't sure I'd be here. So I'm just elated, to be honest, to have made it this far," said Williams, who is eyeing to become the first woman to win three straight U.S. Open title since 1970.
On the other hand, Wozniacki advanced to the final after her semis opponent, Peng Shuai, retired during the second set of their match due to severe cramping.
Peng, who was playing in her first Grand Slam semifinal, was trailing in the second set, 4-3, when her trainer was forced to help her off the court on a wheelchair after failing to overcome the heat at Arthur Ashe Stadium.
"It was really hard to watch for me whenever I saw her collapse on the court," Wozniacki said after the match. "You know, tennis is great, but the health is more important. You know, to see her struggling out there, I just wanted to make sure she was okay. I got the word that she's okay now and just getting cooled down, so that's great to hear."
Williams will be a heavy favorite to win the title against her good friend, but the world No. 1 said that anything can happen in the tournament as she is expecting a close match against Wozniacki.
"I definitely expect another close match," Williams said. "She really knows my game well and knows how to play. She's so consistent. I think that's one of the things that makes her really tough. So I just have to be ready for that and, again, just stay calm and just be able to relax and be happy."
No comments:
Post a Comment