Leander Paes (L) of India and Martina Hingis of Switzerland pose with the trophy after winning the mixed doubles final against Bethanie Mattek-Sands and Sam Querrey of the United States at the US Open in New York Friday. — AP
NEW YORK — On high alert after a day of upsets during which Serena Williams was sent packing from the US Open, Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer made sure their names were not added to the list of shocks Friday as they posted emphatic semifinal victories. The tremors started early at Arthur Ashe Stadium with Flavia Pennetta crushing second seed Simona Halep 6-1, 6-3, before Roberta Vinci rocked Flushing Meadows delivering one of the biggest upsets in tennis history with her semifinal win over Williams that punctured the American's calendar Grand Slam dream. Two victories from becoming the fourth woman to win all four majors in one year, a brittle-looking Williams crumbled as unseeded Vinci, playing in her first Grand Slam singles semifinal, battled to an improbable 2-6, 6-4, 6-4 win. The results set the stage for an equally improbable all-Italian final Saturday. “I don't want to talk about how disappointing it is for me,” a grim-faced Williams told reporters. “I told you guys I don't feel pressure. I never felt pressure. “I never felt that pressure to win here. I said that from the beginning.” With the National Tennis Center buzzing over the exit of Williams, world No. 1 Djokovic and second seed Federer restored order to the year's final Grand Slam. Djokovic needed just 85 minutes to secure passage to his fourth consecutive Grand Slam final, crushing defending US Open champion Marin Cilic 6-0, 6-1, 6-2. The demolition was the worst ever in a US Open semifinal, the three games lost one fewer than the four Yevgeny Kafelnikov managed against Lleyton Hewitt in 2001. Federer, a five-time US Open winner, was equally efficient as he beat Swiss compatriot Stan Wawrinka 6-4, 6-3, 6-1. The all-time Grand Slam singles king with 17 titles, Federer heads into Sunday's final gunning to add to his record haul. He has not won a grand since since 2012 Wimbledon. The final will mark the 42nd meeting between the two great rivals, with Federer holding a wafer 21-20 advantage. “Novak it's been more straightforward, my opinion,” said Federer. “That's what I like about the rivalry. “I think it's just a straight shootout and I think that's the cool thing about our rivalry. It's very athletic. “We both can handle ... whatever we present to one another, and I think our matches, it's very even.” Vinci, a 300-1 shot to win the US Open when the tournament began, pulled off one of the most remarkable ever tennis upsets by ending Williams' streak of 33 consecutive match wins in the Grand Slams. A five-time doubles Grand Slam winner, the 32-year-old Vinci had never been beyond the quarterfinals in singles play at 43 majors. In the other corner stood Williams, a 21-times Grand Slam champion who had lost only two matches all season and had not dropped a set against Vinci in their four previous meetings. Forced to wait a day after rain wiped out Thursday's semifinals schedule, the weight of expectation appeared to take its toll on a 33-year-old who was chasing the first calendar Grand Slam since Steffi Graf in 1988. Everything was going according to script as Williams easily took the opening set but things began to unravel after a composed Vinci registered a key break in the fifth game of the second that allowed her to even the match. With the contest slipping away, Williams tried to will herself back into the match, screaming and fist-pumping after each point and feeding off the support of the crowd. But with nothing lose, an undaunted Vinci continued to pressure Williams, who could not match previous great escapes. While a stunned Vinci celebrated, a scowling Williams quickly departed a stunned stadium. “This is an incredible moment for me,” Vinci said. “It's amazing. It's like a dream. I'm in the final. I beat Serena.” Lost in the drama of the Williams match was a brilliant performance by Pennetta, who needed less than an hour to deal with Romanian Halep. Pennetta, was a clear underdog but the 26th seed tapped into her vast experience and was not overwhelmed on the big stage. She had reached the quarterfinals at Flushing Meadows in six of the previous seven years, but the final will be uncharted territory. Paes and Hingis win mixed doubles Martina Hingis and Leander Paes once again proved to be a potent partnership as the Swiss-Indo duo captured their third mixed doubles title of the year with victory at the US Open Friday. The Australian Open and Wimbledon champions came back from 4-1 down in the championship tiebreak to storm to victory with a 6-4, 3-6, 10-7 win over Americans Bethanie Mattek-Sands and Sam Querrey. Hingis and Paes became the first duo to capture three major mixed titles in the same year since Margaret Court and Marty Riessen achieved the feat in 1969. The triumph earned 42-year-old Paes a ninth mixed doubles trophy and 17th Grand Slam title while Hingis took her overall Grand Slam tally to 19 (five singles, 10 women's doubles and four mixed). “I just love to play tennis and I am fortunate to have Leander as my partner,” Hingis told reporters. Paes added: “Martina is a legend on and off the court. She's my best friend. She's just fantastic.” Hingis could add to her haul over the weekend when she teams up with another Indian, Sania Mirza, in the women's doubles final. — Reuters
