Day 11 of the US Open is women’s semifinals day and a chance for the four remaining women to book a spot in Saturday’s final. Last Word on Tennis panelists Ryan Schick, Sam Barker, Yesh Ginsburg, Tony Siracusa, and Hugo Jennings make their predictions for the all-American semifinals of Venus Williams vs Sloane Stephens and Coco Vandeweghe vs Madison Keys.
Panelists Predictions US Open Women’s Semifinals
Venus Williams v Sloane Stephens
Ryan: This all American semi brings together two opponents who won their quarterfinal matches by identical scores, gritting out 3rd set tiebreaks. Venus looked shaky at times with errors and doubles, but beat a stronger opponent than Stephens. Stephens played a strong match and looked comfortable on the big stage, but Venus’s experience and form will lead her to victory. Venus in 3
Sam: Both battled through third set tie-breaks in the quarter-final and this all-American match should be greeted by a raucous atmosphere. Williams has won more Grand Slam matches in 2017 than any other woman and Stephens has not yet faced a player with Williams’ raw power. That said, Stephens had battled out of a few tricky situations and could feasibly cause an upset here. Stephens in 3
Embed from Getty Images
Yesh: This all-American matchup should be an incredible match to watch. It literally feels like neither of these women should lose. Their stories are so incredible. In a battle of age versus youth, give me experience to win by the tiniest of margins. Venus in 3
Tony: Stephens has put herself in some holes in this tournament, particularly in her three-set win over Sevastova. She showed the on-court skills but also showed some battling with nerves, playing on Arthur Ashe Stadium for the first time ever. Williams has gone three sets in back to back matches and has not shown the physical wear that comes from her chronic illness. Add that to her being a center court regular and I’m going with Venus. Venus in 3
Hugo:Stephens’ run to the semis has been nothing short of heroic, but Williams’ power and experience will be too much for her. Unless the 24-year-old can get into a strong position early, she will lose in straight sets. Venus in 2
Coco Vandeweghe v Madison Keys
Ryan:
Two Americans leading unexpected runs here. Coco off of a huge victory over world number one Pliskova, continuing an incredible season. Keys looked like a top 5 lock but has faltered lately, but has still shown the powerful game that took her to the top. Keys has succeeded more on the big stage, and will prevail in a battle of two power players. Keys in 2
Sam:A blistering, brutal, ball-bashing proposition awaits as these meet in the semi-finals in a repeat of the Stanford final. Keys got the better in that match and Vandeweghe will want revenge. The two may be firm friends off the court but that will be pushed to one side as they both bid for a maiden Grand Slam final. Expect an electric atmosphere to match the occasion. Keys in 3
Yesh: Both of these players are so good right now. There’s nothing to separate the two, really. Vandeweghe has more experience at this stage, though (barely), so I’ll give her the tiniest of edges when push comes to shove. Vandeweghe in 3
Tony: It’s an interesting matchup of two players who say they have become very close friends on the tour, and yet their styles and personalities could not be more different. Vandeweghe’s personality and game can both be explosive on the court. The latter is a positive. The former can be a problem when it is not channeled properly. Keys is playing complete matches in this tournament and her serve has become a bigger weapon as the two weeks have gone. I am picking Keys and her even temper as being a deciding factor when the lights are brightest. Keys in 3 tough sets
Hugo: This could be a case of whether Vandeweghe uses the momentum of her victory over Pliskova or is exhausted by it. The extra day’s rest should benefit her, though, and she has proved to be very difficult to break on hard court. Keys will be a worthy challenger, however, so expect this to be a very close battle. Vandeweghe in 3
