Semifinal Action Heats Up at the US Open on Friday

After almost two weeks of competition, the field of one hundred and twenty-eight women at the 2007 US Open has been narrowed done to just four.

Still alive in the tournament are three Grand Slam champions and yet another Russian phenom eager to achieve success on the courts at Flushing Meadows.

Justine Henin, Venus Williams, and Svetlana Kuznetsova have each tasted the thrill of a victory at the US Open, but for Anna Chakvetadze, being this close to her first Grand Slam final is a dream come true.

After the surprising defeat of Maria Sharapova, two of her countrywomen have risen to the occasion in the weak second half of the draw. Kuznetsova and Chakvetadze are not only opponents, but in less than two weeks time, they will be teammates, with one goal of bringing the Fed Cup trophy back home to Russia.

Overall, the two Russians are evenly matched. Experience will be on the side of Kuznetsova in Friday’s first semifinal, but youthful aggression and mental strength will be Chakvetadze’s biggest assets. She likes to mix up her shots, has worked hard on her new serve, and if she can keep a positive outlook (something she proved on Wednesday when the crowd turned against her) she may be able to topple the fourth seed.

As the higher-ranked player in the semifinal, Kuznetsova has admitted that the pressure to win will be on her shoulders. Dealing with nerves has not been easy for the twenty-two year-old in the past, but Svetlana is confident that she can play her best on Friday.

“Definitely the pressure is going to be more on me,” said Kuznetsova on Wednesday, “but still I will try to stay tough, to play tough and just to enjoy the tennis as I have done today on the court.”

Unfortunately, for whoever emerges out of the second half as the finalist, she will head into the final as the underdog. The top section of the draw was loaded with star power and it is fitting that the last two Grand Slam winners will battle it out for the second berth in the championship match.

After a four-year hiatus, Venus Williams and Justine Henin will be reuniting on court, but as Venus already knows, she will be taking on a completely different Henin.

Since their last meeting in the semifinals of the 2003 Australian Open, Justine has won six Grand Slam titles and spent over eighty weeks at the top of the WTA Tour rankings.

Both women have progressed solidly during the tournament, with Justine holding the slight edge of not dropping a set. The closest Henin has come to being seriously tested was against Serena Williams in the quarterfinals, but she quickly dispatched her after winning the first set tie-break.

After working so hard to get to the semifinals with a tough win over Jelena Jankovic, Venus Williams is eager to attempt winning the Wimbledon/US Open double for the third time in her career.

“I would love to [win back-to-back titles],” said Venus after defeating Jankovic. “I will do everything in my power to make it so.”

Henin and Jankovic play similar, but despite the height difference, the petite Belgian hits with more power. Serving against one of the biggest returners in the game will require more pace on her shots, along with an increased level of aggression at the net. Henin’s net game remains one of her biggest weapons, but with Venus Williams’ extensive wingspan, Henin needs to be prepared to run down more balls and go for the winners up the line.

If Venus can trap Henin behind the baseline and cut down on the available angles, something Serena failed to do, she’ll be able to seize the advantage early. Justine does not play well when she is not doing the dictating, making her a vulnerable foe if she has to come from behind in a match.

Defeating both Williams sisters in a Grand Slam is a tall order for any player, with Martina Hingis being the last person to achieve the feat in 2001 at the Australian Open. She knocked out Serena in the quarterfinals, followed by Venus in the semifinals, only to falter against Jennifer Capriati in the final.

Justine is aware that it has been years since a player managed to oust both of them at a major but insists that she is up for the challenge.

“I think if I have to play Venus, it will be a good challenge for me to play both sisters in the same tournament,” acknowledged Henin.

“Every match is a final for me now. There are a lot of expectations for sure. But I just go match after match, step by step. It’s great to be again in the semis. It’s great to be again with the other top players, and now the best will go to the end.”

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