US Open 2015: Flavia Pennetta and Simona Halep meet in semi-finals
Thursday 10 September 2015 18:49, UK
Flavia Pennetta beat fifth seed Petra Kvitova in the US Open quarter-finals on Wednesday to set up a last-four tie with Simona Halep.
The 26th seed was a surprise winner of a quarter-final littered with service breaks, coming through 4-6 6-4 6-2, and will again be the underdog when she takes on second seed Halep in New York.
The Romanian also needed three sets to get pas two-time runner-up Victoria Azarenka, eventually winning a rain-delayed match 6-3 4-6 6-4.
The Italian flag will feature prominently in the semi-finals with the 33-year-old Pennetta joined in the last four by 32-year-old compatriot Roberta Vinci, who booked her spot on Tuesday with a victory over Frenchwoman Kristina Mladenovic.
"I was just trying to fight every ball, running and trying to push the most I can," the Italian said in an on-court interview.
"The second set I was really in trouble, but I was just keep going, playing and playing. It's unbelievable."
The Czech had looked well on her way to a first semi-final appearance when she easily took the opening but the veteran Pennetta kept her cool on another sizzling day in New York.
Serving at 5-4 in the second Pennetta wobbled, missing an easy winner to hand Kvitova a break chance but the Italian did not buckle and hung on to level the match and then dominated the third set as Kvitova wilted in the oppressive heat.
"It's not just the heat, it's the tension for the match, for what do you think you have to be, what do you want to be, what do you want to do," said Pennetta.
"It's so many things in your mind. You just try to take everything out of your mind and just play tennis.
"I'm sorry for her. It's not a good feeling when you feel so tired and you cannot move very well.
"We played a really tough match, more than two hours running everywhere. She has to be proud of herself because she was playing up to the last point."
Pennetta has always been at home on the New York hard-courts having now advanced to quarter-finals or beyond in six of her last seven visits to the National Tennis Center.
The same courts, however, have not been kind to Kvitova, the two-time Wimbledon champion, who never ventured past the fourth round until this year.
Halep was grateful for a gift from the sky as a rain delay helped the Romanian beat Azarenka to reach the semi-finals.
Halep won the first set but lost the second before trailing 2-1 in the decider when the heavens opened and play was suspended for just over an hour.
The world No 2 seemed to benefit from the break as she returned rejuvenated, winning five of the next seven games to clinch victory.
"I was a bit tired after the second set and that break helped me. Thanks God, for raining," Halep said in an on-court interview.
"I found the power to give everything to win this one because I really wanted to play first time the semi-finals here."
Watch the US Open come to a conclusion on Sky Sports all this week. Not a Sky subscriber? Then watch through online streaming service NOW TV.
By purchasing a Sky Sports Day Pass for £6.99 or Sky Sports Week Pass for £10.99, you can enjoy access to all seven Sky Sports channels and watch on a TV with a NOW TV Box or on a range of devices.
