Serena Destroys Wang To Reach 13th US Open Semifinal, Will Face Svitolina

Serena Williams had no issues with her ankle and no issues with Qiang Wang demolishing the Chinese No. 1 6-1, 6-0 to reach her 13th US Open semifinal and earn her 100th career US Open win.

The 42-minute blowout Tuesday night was the quickest of the tournament. And Serena won 50 of the 65 points played against Wang who was making her Grand Slam quarterfinal debut.

“It feels good,” Serena said. “It feels like, okay, this is what I’ve been training for. This is how hard I’ve been working. It feels like, you know, hard work pays off when that happens.

“I’ve been working on my speed, getting shots. I didn’t give her too many chances in the match.”

Wang upset No. 2 Ashleigh Barty on Sunday and given her Top 20 status, was thought to be a contender in her Ashe debut.

“The biggest court in the world,” Wang said. “It’s a little bit tight for me. Against Serena, she do lot of pressure to me. So is not easy to play against her.”

Serena will take on Elina Svitolina Thursday night. Earlier in the day, the Ukraine dismissed Johanna Konta 6-4, 6-4 to reach her first US Open semifinal.

“Not every day you’re playing quarterfinal of the Grand Slam,” the 24-year-old Svitolina said. “And to win that, it’s something special. Just very happy the way I handled the pressure.”

After not making a Grand Slam semifinal in her first 25 or so attempts, she’s now made two straight.

“I don’t think that I was expecting going into this tournament that I’m going to make semis,” Svitolina said. “I’m just taking one match at a time, not rushing so much of the results or what should have or could have happened.

“It’s a Grand Slam. There is lots of pressure, lots of expectations from people, from media probably. But you also put lots of pressure on yourself.

“You have to just go out there, do your job and don’t think too much what’s going on around you, and who handle it the best wins.”

Konta was trying to reach the semifinals at all four Slams. She remains winless against the World No. 5.

“I have played her three times or four, I think. Haven’t beat her yet,” Konta said. “I do feel that was the probably the best I felt her play against me. She played so well, to be honest.

“Actually, I didn’t play badly at all. I actually felt like I was doing a lot of good things out there, a lot of the right things.

“She just made me play that extra ball. I mean, it’s frustrating. You know, I would have loved to have come through that and come through a challenge like her, but I guess it will just have to be next time.”

Serena has won four of five against Svitolina, losing their last meeting at the 2016 Rio Olympics.

“She is obviously a fighter,” Serena said. “She gets a lot of balls back. She doesn’t make a lot of mistakes. She’s one of those players that does everything really well. So I have to do everything well, too.”

Tomorrow, four new faces to this stage in New York take the court. Belinda Bencic meets Donna Vekic and then at night Bianca Andreescu battles Elise Mertens. All four are bidding for a first US Open semifinal. Only Mertens has been past a Slam quarterfinal before.