Tennis News

Defending champion Kim Clijsters extended her unbeaten streak in New York to 20 matches after a 4-6 7-6(2) 6-4 win over Venus Williams saw the Belgian book her place in the US Open final.

The Belgian, who will play Russian seventh seed Vera Zvonareva in Saturday night's final, has now won 20 straight matches at Flushing Meadows after winning the title in 2005 before missing the intervening three years and returning to win again in 2009.

Vera is such a wonderfully old-fashioned name, you might expect someone so called to play tennis from another era. Sadly, for nostalgics at least, not.

Vera Zvonareva is mechanically indistinguishable from most of the blonde, pony-tailed technicians who populate the game, except with a bit of an edge to her strokes, and today she produced a game from her top drawer to proceed to the women's final of the US Open at the expense of the No1 seed, Caroline Wozniacki.

Kim Clijsters, poster girl for marriage and motherhood on the women's tour, stayed on course for a repeat US Open title on Friday night after seeing off the game challenge of the near veteran Venus Williams.

Despite her nerve briefly wobbling after gaining the lead in the deciding set, the 27-year-old Belgian steadied herself sufficiently to win 4-6 7-6 6-4 against the 30 year-old American.

Serena Williams, sidelined by an injury, helps sibling prepare for U.S. Open semifinal match against Kim Clijsters.

The semifinal quartet of Caroline Wozniacki, Kim Clijsters, Venus Williams and Vera Zvonareva have all been to this stage of a major before. They've all passed it, too.

But something has to give when they take the court Friday. Who has the best chance to advance to the final and take home the spoils?

Kim Clijsters vs. Venus Williams

Peter Lundgren, who has been working with Stanislas Wawrinka since July and has previously coached Roger Federer and Marat Safin, is pleased to see his new pupil standing closer to the baseline and taking more chances.

Wawrinka is through to his first Grand Slam quarterfinal after defeating Andy Murray in the third round and then Sam Querrey. He faces Mikhail Youzhny for a place in the semifinals.

Venus Williams has shaken off a sore left knee that had benched her since Wimbledon and breezed into a US Open semifinal Friday against reigning champion Kim Clijsters without dropping a set.

Reaching the final four at a Grand Slam for the first time since last year at Wimbledon, US third seed Williams has impressed Belgian second seed Clijsters with her mental strength and desire as well as her shot-making.

Whether it's starting a family or starting a business, Kim Clijsters and Venus Williams have figured out how to make life about more than hitting a fuzzy yellow ball.

As for that tennis part — well, things are going pretty well there, too.

In the featured semifinal at the U.S. Open on Friday, Clijsters tries to stay on track for her second straight title after a 2 1/2-year layoff during which she got married and had a baby girl, Jada.

Not a bad second act.

Boxing is one of top seed Caroline Wozniacki's off-court interests and the 20-year-old Dane has exhibited a fighting spirit during her charge through the draw at the US Open.

Wozniacki had to fight through near gale-force wins and a determined effort from Dominika Cibulkova of Slovakia on Wednesday to advance to Friday's semifinals.

"Boxing, it's just a different way for me to work out," she told reporters after her 6-2 7-5 quarterfinal victory.

orget about open fields and shock winners: the pedigree of this year's US Open semifinal line-up is plenty fine. The top three seeds have won through for the first time since 2006, and they are joined by a classy No.7. So are we heading for a repeat of last year's final, with Caroline Wozniacki gunning for a first Grand Slam title against Kim Clijsters?