Teen topples RadwanskaA Croatian teenager claimed the scalp of one of the favourites to win the US Open women’s title. Serena sails into last eight at US Open Fourth-seeded Agnieszka Radwanska was on Monday shocked by 18-year-old Croatian Ana Konjuh, who reached the quarter-finals of the US Open.The 6-4, 6-4 triumph avenged a bitter disappointment for Konjuh, who held three match points against Radwanska in the second round at Wimbledon before falling 9-7 in the third round after stepping on a ball and turning her ankle.
“She’s an incredible player and I’m just happy to have the opportunity to play her again,” Konjuh said. “This time I got the revenge.”
The teenager showed remarkable poise throughout the match that closed out the night session on the cavernous Arthur Ashe stadium.
Even when the public address system blared out accidentally as she prepared to serve early in the final game she wasn’t rattled.
“I just said to myself stay in the game don’t rush,” Konjuh said. “I remember at Wimbledon I had match points there and I thought I’m not going to do that here. I’m not going to let that opportunity go.”
Barrier
Serena Williams broke through another barrier her 308th Grand Slam match win taking her past Roger Federer for the most in major tournaments and into.
“Wow, it’s really exciting,” Williams said of moving out of a tie with Swiss great Federer for most Grand Slam match wins.
“This is where it all started so it’s always so magical out here for me - 308 sounds pretty good.”
Williams was never seriously challenged in a 6-2, 6-3 victory over 52nd-ranked Yaroslava Shvedova.
With Radwanska out of the picture, second-seeded German Angelique Kerber is now the only player with a chance to end Williams’s 186-week reign atop the rankings.
Kerber was due to face 2015 finalist Roberta Vinci, the seventh seed from Italy for a place in the semi-finals.
Tantalising
Former world number one Caroline Wozniacki and Latvian Anastasija Sevastova were yesterday also due to battle for a semi-final berth.
The tantalizing prospect of a semi-final clash between Williams and her sister Venus evaporated as the elder Williams fell to hard-hitting Czech Karolina Pliskova 4-6, 6-4, 7-6 (7/3).
In her first Grand Slam quarter-final, Pliskova will take on Konjuh. Despite her entrenched position in the top 20 the Czech had never made it past the third round in a major in 17 prior tries.
Konjuh, in contrast, has made the quarters for the first time in her ninth Grand Slam.
NAMPA/AFP