NEW YORK — Italy's 83rd-ranked Flavia Pennetta advanced to the final four at a Grand Slam for the first time by beating 10th-seeded compatriot Roberta Vinci 6-4, 6-1 in a US Open quarterfinal Wednesday. Pennetta, the fourth-worst ranked of any US Open women's semifinalist ever, will next face the winner of the match between Belarus' second seed Victoria Azarenka and Slovakia's 48th-ranked Daniela Hantuchova. Pennetta has not lost a set in the tournament and has dropped only 25 games in five matches. Top-ranked defending champion Serena Williams and Chinese fifth seed Li Na will meet in Friday's other semifinal. Williams, Li or Pennetta — all 31 — would become the oldest US Open women's champion by winning Sunday's final. World number ones Serena and Novak Djokovic ruled supreme Tuesday, sending ominous warnings to their rivals with dazzling, runaway victories over Spanish opponents. Djokovic said he played some of his best tennis on the Arthur Ashe Stadium court in trouncing Marcel Granollers 6-3, 6-0, 6-0, and Williams could not have done better, handing Carla Suarez Navarro a 6-0, 6-0 beating at the National Tennis Center. Dominant performances are not out of the ordinary for those rankings leaders but Li provided something special by breaking another barrier for Chinese tennis. The 31-year-old Li became China's first semifinalist ever at the US Open by beating Russian Ekaterina Makarova 6-4, 6-7(5) 6-2 Tuesday at a windy Flushing Meadows. Li pumped both fists in joy after 24th seed Makarova sailed a backhand long to end the two-hour, 20-minute match at Arthur Ashe Stadium as the crowd showered her with cheers. “For me, this is the first time to come to the semifinals, so I'm very proud of myself,” said Li, who looked about to claim victory in two sets after winning the first three points of the tiebreaker but was extended to a third set. Other winners were also tested as defending men's champion Andy Murray of Britain worked hard to get past 65th-ranked Denis Istomin of Uzbekistan, 6-7 (5), 6-1, 6-4, 6-4, and women's second seed Victoria Azarenka overcame Ana Ivanovic 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 to complete the women's quarterfinals field. The lone upset by rankings was registered by ninth-seeded Stanislas Wawrinka of Switzerland, who ousted fifth seed Tomas Berdych of the Czech Republic 3-6, 6-1, 7-6 (6), 6-2 Wawrinka, who has now won five of his last six matches against Berdych, advanced to a quarters clash against Murray. “I played really good,” acknowledged four-time US Open winner Williams after her 52-minute rout of Suarez Navarro. “I'm having a blast this week. For me, I have to stay in that moment of fun, but intensity, but calm. If I can try to do those three things, it works out.” It was only the second love-love win in a US Open women's quarterfinal dating back to 1968, and first since Martina Navratilova subjected Manuela Maleeva of Bulgaria to the embarrassment in 1989. The 31-year-old Williams, aiming to become the oldest US Open women's winner since tennis turned professional in 1968, has lost just 13 games in her five matches. Djokovic said his game was clicking just as planned. “Today, the second and third set have been some of the best tennis that I've played on Arthur Ashe in my career,” said Djokovic, who won the title in 2011 and was a finalist last year and in 2007. “I was wishing to be more aggressive as the tournament progresses,” added the Serb. Djokovic moved into the quarters against Russia's Mikhail Youzhny, who ended the magical run of 2001 US Open winner Lleyton Hewitt by escaping a 1-4 hole in the fourth set and a 2-5 stranglehold in the fifth for a 6-3, 3-6, 6-7(3), 6-4, 7-5 win. Youzhny, the 21st seed, took pride in outbattling renowned fighter Hewitt in the nearly four-hour match. “I know he's a great player and he's great fighting player, who is fighting for every point, every match. For me, this way that I beat him today, it's really important,” he said. — Agencies
