Serena Williams didn't squander her chance to advance at the U.S. Open, overcoming a slow start to defeat eighth-seeded Karolina Pliskova 6-4, 6-3 on Tuesday night at Arthur Ashe Stadium in New York.
The 17th-seeded Williams fell behind 3-1 in the first set, and Pliskova had three break points for a 4-1 lead. Williams recovered in that game, and soon went on a winning run of eight games in a row.
"The crowd was really rooting for me, and I felt so bad because everyone out here was cheering and I wasn't winning," Williams, speaking on court post-match, said of the early games. "So I thought, 'I gotta try harder.' So thank you (fans) so much."
Williams closed out the match in style, winning a service game at love with two aces, an overhead smash and another ace.
Just over a year removed from the birth of her daughter, Williams is looking for a record-tying 24th Grand Slam championship. The 36-year-old American's most recent major title came at the 2017 Australian Open, while she was pregnant.
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Pliskova becomes the highest-ranked opponent Williams has defeated since returning to the tour this year.
"I feel like right now I'm playing free because I was having a baby this time last year, so I have nothing to prove. I'm just on my way on the tour and doing the best I can."
Williams, who owns six U.S. Open crowns, improved to 89-11 all-time at Arthur Ashe Stadium.
She will be playing at the venue again Thursday against unheralded Anastasija Sevastova, who brought defending champion Sloane Stephens' tournament to a sudden end by dispatching the third-seeded American 6-2, 6-3.
The 19th-seeded Latvian needed just 85 minutes to claim victory, winning 57 percent (67 of 118) of the points and repeatedly converting in key moments. Sevastova claimed five of the eight break-point opportunities she earned while staving off seven of nine she faced.
The 28-year-old ultimately converted her third match point to advance to her first Grand Slam semifinal. She reached the U.S. Open quarterfinals in 2016 and 2017.
"I think it was very physical today," Sevastova said in her on-court interview. "It was tough to play, it's so hot in here in the stadium. We showed some nerves in the end, but it's normal. It's (going to be my) first semifinals at (the) U.S. Open."
In men's action, Juan Martin del Potro upset the crowd in attendance when he rallied past American John Isner 6-7 (5-7), 6-3, 7-6 (7-4), 6-2 to advance to the semifinals.
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Del Potro, the 2009 Open champion, staved off all three break points he faced in the match, which featured his first dropped set of the tournament. He's into the semifinals for the second year in a row, where he lost to top-ranked Rafael Nadal last year.
Nadal was attempting to overcome a slow start in his quarterfinal against No. 9 seed Dominic Thiem late Tuesday. Nadal lost the first set 6-0.
Isner was denied becoming the first American semifinalist at the U.S. Open since Andy Roddick in 2006.
The tournament's biggest upset on the men's side occurred late Monday as Australian John Millman, ranked 55th in the world, upset second-seeded Roger Federer 3-6, 7-5, 7-6 (9-7), 7-6 (7-3) to earn a quarterfinal date against Novak Djokovic.
Federer, a 37-year-old Swiss veteran, is a five-time Open champion. He was knocked out before the quarterfinals of a major event for the first time since he lost in the third round of the 2015 Australian Open.
Millman, 29, had never moved past the third round of a major before the current tournament. He has never won an ATP Tour title, losing in his only appearance in a final, at Budapest, Hungary, this year.
"I'm probably in a little bit of disbelief," Millman said on court after defeating Federer. "I have so much respect for Roger and everything he's done in his career. Today he was not at his best, but I'll take it."
Federer won the first point of the fourth-set tiebreaker, then dropped the next six points. He committed back-to-back double faults to fall behind 4-1, and he eventually lost on another error.
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For the match, Federer had more winners, 65-47, but also committed far more unforced errors, 76-28.
"I felt a bit like a deer in headlights to begin with, to be honest with you," Millman said. "The feet weren't moving. Roger had it on a string. He was manipulating me around the court. But I got out of a tough second set and really found my feet and decided to be a little more aggressive.
"I think I started to serve really well and probably capitalized a little on Roger having an 'off' service day."
