NEW YORK (AP) ― Serena Williams overcame a difficult first set to advance to the U.S. Open semifinals Thursday with a 7-5, 6-1 victory over Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova.
Williams, the 28th seed but the favorite to win at Flushing Meadows, lost serve in the first game of the match but won it back in a love game to make it 3-3, then got another break to win the first set 7-5.
The second set against the 17th-seeded Pavlyuchenkova took a half hour, and Williams moved two wins away from her 14th Grand Slam title.
Williams, the 28th seed but the favorite to win at Flushing Meadows, lost serve in the first game of the match but won it back in a love game to make it 3-3, then got another break to win the first set 7-5.
The second set against the 17th-seeded Pavlyuchenkova took a half hour, and Williams moved two wins away from her 14th Grand Slam title.