New York: Pablo Carreno Busta outlasted an erratic Denis Shapovalov 3-6, 7-6(5), 7-6(4), 0-6, 6-3 in a seesaw battle on Tuesday to advance to his second US Open semi-final.
The 29-year-old Spaniard, the oldest of the men’s quarter-finalists, had looked down and out when his Canadian opponent served him a bagel in the fourth set.
However, after getting some treatment to his lower back, 2017 semi-finalist Carreno Busta fought back gamely to seal the deciding set in a match that lasted over four hours.
I am destroyed, but I am very happy, he said in an on-court interview. After this battle, it is hard to say.
But, it is incredible to be back in the semi-finals. The 20th seed, who is eyeing a maiden Grand Slam final spot, will next face Alexander Zverev.
The German fifth seed reached his second Grand Slam semi-final this year with a 1-6, 7-6(5), 7-6(1), 6-3 win over Croatian Borna Coric.
After a slow start, Zverev raised his game and showed more poise in the crucial moments against the 27th seed. With the victory, he became the first German to reach the last-four at the US Open since Boris Becker in 1995.
Arthur Ashe Stadium was turned over to the moms on Wednesday afternoon, and the Best Mom award went, as expected, to the six-time US Open champion Serena Williams—but not before a gut-check comeback over the surprise of the tournament, unranked Bulgarian Tsvetana Pironkova, in the quarterfinals.
Williams advanced to the semifinals at Flushing Meadows for the 11th consecutive year with a physically draining and emotionally exhausting 4-6, 6-3, 6-2, tussle.
I am happy to just be here standing and talking with you, Williams said, in her post-match on-court interview. CI was like one point from not being here. I just kept fighting and never gave up. You got to keep going.’
This just shows how tough moms are, said the 38-year-old Williams. You give birth to a child you can do just about anything.
Williams’ three-year-old daughter, Olympia, has been on the grounds of the nearly deserted USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center grounds along with husband Alexis Ohanian for most of the tournament.
Pironkova’s two-year-old son, Alexander, and her husband were home in Bulgaria.