US Open

Semi-final result:

S WILLIAMS (US) v D SAFINA (Rus)

6-3 6-2

606: DEBATE Your thoughts on the action

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By Piers Newbery

SECOND SET:

Safina 2-6 Serena
Serena 'does a Jankovic' when she is forced into the splits while scrambling behind the baseline. It does her no good as she loses the point and is pegged back to 30-30, but Safina obliges with a woeful backhand and it's match point. Venus stifles a yawn in the crowd, and little sister does the business with a huge service winner. A big scream, a jump for joy, and then she is heard to apologies to Safina at the net for earlier smacking the ball at her. Nice touch.

2319: "Piers, are you able to disclose which bbc gem will have the pleasure of taking us through THAT agonising match tomorrow on text updates?"
From Aliah via text on 81111

Obviously that is highly sensitive information but there is every chance it will be yours truly, although when it will be, who knows? I'll bring a sleeping bag tomorrow and bed in for the long haul.

Safina 2-5 Serena
Safina does well to keep the match going, producing one fantastic lob on her way to holding, and it's down to Serena to serve this one out.

Safina 1-5 Serena
Serena is not hanging about now, racing through her service game, and it will take the mother of all comebacks from Safina to keep this one alive.

Safina 1-4 Serena
This is really good stuff from Serena now - a brilliant lob helping her to break point, at which point she unleashes an absolute screamer of a cross-court forehand, the shot of the day. Safina looks down and out, but she has a habit of staging miraculous recoveries.

Safina 1-3 Serena
Safina battles her way to deuce thanks to three screaming backhands but Serena throws in a well angled serve and a big first serve to hold.

Safina 1-2 Serena
Safina faces yet another break point at 30-40 but goes for everything in full-blooded fashion on the break point and saves it, surviving a Serena challenge on a baseline call. The Russian gets a game point but then double faults - it's all good fun, isn't it? Cue unforced error, racquet on the ground, angry yelp, much muttering, and another wayward backhand. Amid all that drama, Serena looks the picture of, well, serenity at the other end as she gets the break.

Safina 1-1 Serena
In all the excitement of taking down weather contingency details, I have to confess most of Serena's service game passed me by. A pity, as she dropped serve and it's level again.

2254: Some excellent information coming in from 5 Live Sports Extra regarding contingency plans for the weekend should it rain all day on Saturday. If so, the men's semis will be at 6pm and 9pm UK time on Sunday, with the women's final at 2am on Monday morning. The men's final will then be at 9pm on Monday evening. That's going to play havoc with my sleep pattern.

Safina 0-1 Serena
Safina looks to have recovered some poise as she moves to 40-0 but Serena gets back two points - the second with another fine volley - and makes it deuce with a slightly fortunate return that is more of a drop shot. Serena then crafts a superb point on the backhand before Safina makes an error on break point. A pretty disastrous game for the Russian but experienced stuff from Serena.

FIRST SET:

Safina 3-6 Serena
Serena faces a break point at 30-40 but does brilliantly to attack the net and punch away a volley. Safina looks on the verge of tears. Serena wraps up the set without hitting anything like top gear.

2241:"Serena - Safina. Could we have Serena - Dinara or Williams - Safina? Why one first name and one surname? Plus they're v similar!"
From Confused Colin via text on 81111

Well, we always use 'Serena' or 'Venus' because it immediately tells anyone looking at the page which Williams is playing. We stick with it when one of them goes out because not everyone will have followed the whole tournament and be aware of that. Riveting stuff, eh?

Safina 3-5 Serena
A now familiar Safina yelp greets a net cord at 15-30 that sees the ball just drop back on her side. The Russian then wallops a forehand into the net and Serena takes control of the set.

Safina 3-4 Serena
Serena edges ahead but it's a real struggle and neither player has found their form yet. As with the first semi, a combination of nerves and testing conditions is making it hard work all round.

Safina 3-3 Serena
I'm going to do my best to avoid mentioning big brother because Safina deserves the limelight these days as very much the best player in her family. However, it's hard not to think of the big man when she lets out a world-class scream after one error. At deuce, Serena plays a devilish forehand angle to get a break point but Safina saves it with a big serve and goes on to claim a big hold.

Safina 2-3 Serena
Serena moves ahead with a solid service hold to 15.

2217: "Whoever wins this match will win the title. Jankovic doesn't stand a chance against either of them."
From Jeff_Aitch on 606

Safina 2-2 Serena
Serena gets another break point when Safina puts a smash wide. Safina draws Serena in with a drop shot and the American chases it down before smashing a backhand straight at her opponent. Safina takes evasive action at the net and turns to see the ball fly out. Moments later, a double fault hands Serena another break-back point and this time Safina pulls a forehand wide. All square again.

Safina 2-1 Serena
This is powerful stuff from both women. Safina earns another break point and it seems to finally rouse the stuttering Serena, who absolutely crunches down three massive serves to get off the mark.

Safina 2-0 Serena
Serena has a half-chance at 30-30 but blazes a forehand return wide. Safina then puts a backhand long at deuce and it's a break-back point for Serena, but Safina comes up with a towering ace down the middle and another big service winner. The Russian them comes to the net and hammers a smash to take the game. Impressive.

Safina 1-0 Serena
Safina makes a very confident start and quickly forces a couple of break points at 15-40. Serena goes long with a forehand on the second and it's a break for the Russian. Meanwhile, Venus is sitting in the crowd almost obscured by a truly massive hairdo - possibly not the best move in a howling gale.

2149: The second of the women's semis could be a bit of a blockbuster as both players seem to revel in dramatic encounters. Safina has been the form woman on tour in recent months, reaching the final in six of her last seven tournaments and winning three of them.

Serena holds a 3-1 lead in head-to-head meetings, although she lost when the pair met in Berlin on clay earlier this year. However, the American is desperate to land her first Grand Slam title since Australia in 2007 and is full of confidence after beating sister Venus in the quarters.

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