US Open sees first all-American semis since 1981

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For the first time since 1981, the US Open women's semifinals will be an all-American affair, with seven-time Grand Slam champion Venus Williams and three first Slam title hopefuls in the mix.

Williams - chasing her third US Open title after 2000 and 2001 - will face Sloane Stephens, while 20th seed CoCo Vandeweghe and 15th seed Madison Keys meet in Thursday's matches at Arthur Ashe Stadium, with the winners meeting Saturday for the final.

Sloane Stephens of the US hits a return to Latvia's Anastasija Sevastova during their 2017 US Open quarter-final match, at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in New York, on September 5. /AFP Photo

"It's pretty awesome," said Keys after her 6-3, 6-3 victory Wednesday over Estonian qualifier Kaia Kanepi. "I thought it would be a really special moment. I'm happy I helped out and got my name in there."

No matter who advances, it will set up the first all-American US Open final since 2002, when Venus Williams lost to younger sister Serena.

US ninth seed Williams, enjoying one of her finest seasons at age 37, is leading the charge. This year's Australian Open and Wimbledon runner-up is the US Open's oldest semi-finalist and the oldest in any Slam since Martina Navratilova at Wimbledon in 1994.

Williams, whose first Slam final was on Ashe 20 years ago, will return to the world top five for the first time since January 2011, her highest level since being diagnosed with the strength-sapping illness Sjogren's Syndrome.

Nervous car ride for Keys

Vandeweghe eliminated Czech world number one Karolina Pliskova 7-6 (7/4), 6-3 before Keys, who is 2-0 against Vandeweghe, overcame nerves to win.

CoCo Vandeweghe celebrates after defeating Karolina Pliskova in their 2017 US Open quarter-final match, at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in New York, on September 6. /AFP Photo

"I was real nervous," Keys said. "The car ride over, I was definitely feeling it but once I got out here I felt really good."

Vandeweghe's best Slam attempt was in this year's Australian Open semi-finals while Keys made her deepest run in the 2015 Australian Open semi-finals.

In 1981, Americans Barbara Potter, Chris Evert, Martina Navratilova and eventual winner Tracy Austin reached the final four.

The latest US players have looked to Venus, Serena, Lindsay Davenport and Jennifer Capriati as role models.

"We wanted to be those same players in a later generation. Now that we're older, we can put that into words, but we all wanted to be there," Vandeweghe said.

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Source(s): AFP