NEW YORK, NY, USA - Forget 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? Venus Williams shooting for a third crown almost a decade after she won the second, anyone? Or will Saturday's title bout provide Wimbledon runner-up Vera Zvonareva with another shot at Grand Slam glory? The head-to-heads of both final-four match-ups are evenly poised, but that will change on Friday.
Arthur Ashe
[1] Caroline Wozniacki (DEN #2) vs. [7] Vera Zvonareva (RUS #8)
H2H: Tied at 2-2
Hardcourt W-L (YTD/career): CW 31-6/133-52 VZ 26-8/220-112
Grand Slam SF Record: CW 1-0 VZ 1-1
Arriving in New York having won three titles in four weeks, Wozniacki could have been forgiven for being weary. It might even have been considered bad planning. But, far from becoming a victim of her own success the 20-year-old looks remarkably fresh as she contemplates her 64th match of the season. Indeed, the paltry 17 games she has conceded so far marks the cleanest run since Serena Williams dropped 14 by this stage on her way to the title in 2002. Is it an omen? Crucially, the Dane is coming off one of the finest wins of her career, over Maria Sharapova. However, while she deserves to go into this match favored to win a 14th match in a row, she must expect a tougher fight from Zvonareva than the Russian mustered at Montréal last month. Two of her matches so far have been won in second set tie-breaks, which should be a source of confidence, and she will have learnt a great deal from the Wimbledon final. Evenly matched stroke for stroke, this encounter shapes up as an engrossing battle of wills.
[3] Venus Williams (USA #4) vs. [2] Kim Clijsters (BEL #3)
H2H: Tied at 6-6
Hardcourt W-L (YTD/career): VW 19-2/330-77 KC 26-3/285-59
Grand Slam SF Record: VW 14-4 KC 6-7
Can this really be just the second US Open semi Venus has played since she reached the final in 2002? Though they've each scored six wins in a rivalry that extends back to the quarters here in 2001 - Venus went on to record the second of her two Flushing Meadows triumphs - the sting in the tale for the 30-year-old American is that Clijsters has won their last four meetings, two of them post-comeback, and two of them right here at the USTA Billie Jean King Tennis Center. Whatever. Both have had statistically great seasons, winning about 90 percent of their respective hardcourt matches; here, Venus has finished strongly after edging first set tie-breaks against Shahar Peer and Francesca Schiavone, while among the remaining four players Clijsters has spent the least time on court (5 hrs 53 mins). As luck would have it Williams hasn't played a Top 5 player in 2010 before today, and the Miami final against Williams was Clijsters's sole Top 5 encounter. They'll both know what they are up against today, and they'll throw everything they've got at each other.
More to watch...
With Wimbledon champions Yaroslava Shvedova and Vania King already through to the doubles final, the other semi sees No.2 seeds Liezel Huber and Nadia Petrova face No.7 seeds Chan Yung-Jan and Zheng Jie on Louis Armstrong.
