World number one Nadal cruises into US Open semi-finals
For the first time since 1981, the US Open women's semi-finals will be an all-American affair with seven-time Grand Slam champion Venus Williams and three first-Slam-title hopefuls in the mix.
Rafael Nadal of Spain celebrates defeating Andrey Rublev of Russia after their Mens Singles Quarterfinal match on Day Ten of the 2017 US Open at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center on September 6, 2017.
Rafael Nadal demolished Andrey Rublev on Wednesday to reach a sixth US Open semi-final.
World number one Nadal, the 2010 and 2013 champion, brushed aside Russian 19-year-old Rublev 6-1, 6-2, 6-2 in just 97 minutes.
The women's semi-finals will be an all-American affair for the first time since 1981 after CoCo Vandeweghe and Madison Keys set-up a last-four duel.
Thursday's other tie will see seven-time major champion Venus Williams face Sloane Stephens.
Rublev, bidding to be the youngest man in 17 years to reach the semi-finals, had no complaints over his loss.
"He gave me a lesson: 1, 2, and 2," said the Russian, who lost 16 of the last 19 points of the opening set and finished with 43 unforced errors.
This combination made on September 6, 2017 of four photos shows US tennis players Sloane Stephens (top-L), Venus Williams (top-R), CoCo Vandeweghe (bottom-L) and Madison Keys playing during their 2017 US Open Womens Quarterfinal matches in New York.
All American
Vandeweghe reached the semi-finals, knocking Karolina Pliskova off her world number one perch.
American 20th seed Vandeweghe claimed a 7-6 (7/4), 6-3 win over the Czech Republic's Pliskova, whose brief eight-week stay as world number one ends with Wimbledon champion Garbine Muguruza taking over.
Vandeweghe's victory means that the US Open will have an all-American semi-final line-up for the first time since 1981 after Keys defeated Estonian qualifier Kaia Kanepi 6-3, 6-3.
"I won the juniors here when I was 16 and dreamed of playing on the real stage," said 25-year-old Vandeweghe, who also made the semi-finals at the Australian Open, beating then-world number one Angelique Kerber in the process.
The last time four US women were in the semis was 36 years ago when eventual champion Tracy Austin, Chris Evert, Martina Navratilova and Barbara Potter all made it.
Pliskova, who had to save a match point to beat China's Zhang Shuai in the second round, shrugged off losing her top spot.
"I just don't care," she said. "I didn't choose to be at this position where I am now. There are many more Grand Slams to come. I believe I can win one."
Keys, the 15th seed, will be playing in her second Slam semi-final after the 2015 Australian Open.
"It means the world to me," said Keys who underwent wrist surgery earlier this season.
"If someone had said after Wimbledon I would be here now I wouldn't have believed them."
Kanepi, ranked 418 but a six-time quarter-finalist at the Slams, had battled back from crippling foot injuries and a debilitating virus that has limited her to just five events in 2017.
She was unable to convert three break points in the third game of the opening set and there was no way back.
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