Britain's Hewett and Reid reach US Open wheelchair doubles final

Britain’s Alfie Hewett and Gordon Reid are into the final of the US Open men’s wheelchair doubles after a straight-set victory over Gustavo Fernandez and Shingo Kunieda.

The second seeds beat the Argentine-Japanese pair 6-3 6-2.

They will face the winner of Stephane Houdet and Nicolas Peifer versus Joachim Gerard and Stefan Olsson.

Hewett, 19, is making his debut at Flushing Meadows, while 25-year-old Reid won the title in 2015.

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Highlights Del Potro Overpowers Federer US Open 2017

Highlights Del Potro Overpowers Federer US Open 2017

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Highlights Del Potro Overcomes Federer US Open 2017

Highlights Del Potro Overcomes Federer US Open 2017

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Venus Williams vs Sloane Stephens US Open 2017 SF Preview and Prediction

With the US Open at the semi final stage, the tournament will now have a guaranteed American winner on the women’s…

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Madison Keys vs Coco Vandeweghe US Open 2017 SF Preview

While much of the excitement will be on the other semi final where Venus Williams and Sloane Stephens face off, Madison…

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US Open 2017: Venus Williams, Stephens, Vandeweghe and Keys aim for final

Two all-American semi-finals will take place on day 11 of the US Open as Venus Williams plays Sloane Stephens and Coco Vandeweghe faces Madison Keys.

It is the first all-US last four line-up at the tournament since 1981.

Williams, the 2000 and 2001 champion, and Stephens will be first on the Arthur Ashe Stadium in New York at 00:00 BST.

Vandeweghe, seeded 20th, 15th seed Keys and unseeded Stephens are aiming to reach their first Grand Slam final.

• Keys sees off Kanepi in straight sets
• Vandeweghe beats Pliskova to make semis
• Kvitova’s ‘amazing’ return to the court

Williams and Stephens both won final-set tie-breaks to reach this stage, against Petra Kvitova and Anastasija Sevastova respectively.

Vandeweghe overcame Karolina Pliskova in straight sets to join them, while Keys saw off unseeded Estonian Kaia Kanepi.

‘Venus is our leader’

Ninth seed Williams, 37, is the oldest semi-finalist at any Grand Slam since Martina Navratilova at Wimbledon in 1994.

“It’s such a wonderful feeling, because you put in so much work to be able to succeed at these moments,” said Williams.

“It has been a great two weeks for American tennis, seeing all the American players in the draw and all of them advancing so deep and competing so well.”

Stephens, 24, added: “Making the semi-finals of a Slam is a complete neutraliser, anybody’s game. I just have to focus on myself.

“Venus is just our leader, everyone looks up to her. She’s a great player, a great person. She’s a great leader.”

Arthur Ashe became the first black man to win a Grand Slam when he triumphed at the 1968 US Open and Williams and Stephens will face each other on the court named after the three-time major winner.

“It’s great for American tennis,” said Stephens. “It’s great for African-American women. I hope that we keep it going.”

Williams, who reached the final at her first US Open in 1997, the same year the Arthur Ashe Stadium made its debut, added: “He’s a total legend.

“He played during a time where he couldn’t just focus on the tennis. I’m very blessed to be able to focus on my game. But he had to fight because of the colour of his skin.

“It was a completely different time. So I can’t even imagine the pressure he was under. To come out of it with grace, as a champion, it’s incredible.”

Vandeweghe’s ‘Jedi mind tricks’

Vandeweghe was the third American to reach the semi-finals after she saw off world number one Pliskova 7-6 (7-4) 6-3, knocking the Czech off the top of the rankings at the same time.

It is the first time the 25-year-old, who won the junior championship at Flushing Meadows as a 16-year-old in 2008, has reached this stage of the US Open.

Vandeweghe recently began working with Pat Cash and credits the 1984 men’s singles semi-finalist with helping her to keep calm on court.

“Maybe it’s like some Jedi mind trick,” said the 20th seed.

“I think the biggest thing is channelling my intensity and tenacity out onto the court and putting it into a singular focus. I think that’s probably one of the biggest things he’s implemented into my regimen.”

Keys completed an all-American final four for the first time in 36 years. Tracy Austin – who would go on to be champion – Chris Evert, Martina Navratilova and Barbara Potter were the last US quartet in the semi-finals.

The 15th seed beat former world number 15 Kanepi 6-3 6-3 in only one hour and eight minutes.

Keys, 22, is bidding to reach a first Grand Slam final with her run at Flushing Meadows this year matching her best performance in a major, when she reached the Australian Open semi-final two years ago.

“I have been taking this whole tournament one match at a time, one point at a time,” said Keys.

“I’m definitely not getting ahead of myself in that way.

“I’m really proud of getting here in the first place. I’m just going to keep focusing on the next match and then breaking it down from there.”

British pair into men’s semi-final

Meanwhile in the men’s wheelchair doubles, Britain’s Alfie Hewett and Gordon Reid, who retained their Wimbledon title in July, have made it through to the semi-finals.

The second seeds will face the unseeded pair of Gustavo Fernandez of Argentina and Japan’s Shingo Kunieda.

In the women’s wheelchair doubles, Britain’s Lucy Shuker and partner Yui Kamiji of Japan will take on USA’s Dana Mathewson and Aniek Van Koot of the Netherlands in the semis.

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Federer: "I Wasn't In A Safe Place Against Del Potro"

Federer: "I Wasn't In A Safe Place Against Del Potro"

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Beaten Federer never felt 'in safe place'

Roger Federer said he never felt “in a safe place” physically or mentally during a US Open campaign that ended with defeat by Juan Martin del Potro.

The Argentine 24th seed won their quarter-final 7-5 3-6 7-6 (10-8) 6-4 in Wednesday’s night session.

Third seed Federer had struggled with a back injury in the build-up to New York and confirmed he never felt 100% fit.

“It was one of those matches where if I ran into a good guy I was going to lose, I felt,” said the Swiss, 36.

“I don’t want to say I was in a negative mindset, but I knew going in that I’m not in a safe place. It might have depended too much on my opponent – and I don’t like that feeling.

“I had it throughout the tournament, and I just felt that way every single match I went into.”

Federer has enjoyed a stellar year, ending his five-year wait for a Grand Slam title at the Australian Open and adding an eighth Wimbledon victory in July.

The 19-time major champion added: “I didn’t have that feeling at Wimbledon or at the Australian Open, and that’s why rightfully so I’m out of this tournament.

“I wasn’t good enough in my mind, in my body and in my game to overcome these three pillars.”

• Del Potro stuns Federer in four sets
• Nadal thrashes Rublev to reach semis
• Keys makes it all-American semi-final line-up

Having skipped the French Open, Federer arrived at Flushing Meadows unbeaten in Grand Slam matches and with just three defeats all year.

However, the back injury he picked up in Montreal last month disrupted his preparation, and two five-set matches in the first two rounds suggested he was not at his best.

The defeat by 28-year-old Del Potro ended Federer’s hopes, for now at least, of winning a 20th Grand Slam title and taking the number one ranking from Spaniard Rafael Nadal.

“It should hurt, and it does, rightfully so,” said Federer. “But I think my perspective at this age, and with the season that I have had, it’s easier to grasp faster, so I’ll be fine quickly.”

The Swiss had his chances against Del Potro, notably four set points in a dramatic third set tie-break that could have swung the match in his favour.

“I’m OK with it, and I tried until the very end,” he said.

“Smashing certain stuff in the net that I normally wouldn’t, smashing forehand volleys into the back fence, I mean, that stuff sucked. Honestly, it was terrible.

“Juan Martin did well. He served well, had some big shots when he needed to. That was the part that he did so much better tonight – and that’s why he deserves to win.

“I feel I have no place in the semis and he will have a better chance to beat Rafa, to be honest.”

The result not only brings his Grand Slam season to an end but it denies the Flushing Meadows crowd a first meeting between Federer and 15-time major champion Nadal.

It is the sixth time in 10 years that they have missed out by one match on seeing the great rivalry play out in New York.

“I didn’t even think about it as I lost that match,” said Federer.

“I’m dealing with just trying to understand what happened and just to overcome this in the next few hours, days, weeks, whatever it is. I’ll be fine.

“Of course it is a pity, but Juan Martin deserves it more.”

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Del Potro stuns Federer in four sets to make semis

Argentina’s Juan Martin del Potro stunned Roger Federer in four sets to reach the US Open semi-finals.

The 24th seed won 7-5 3-6 7-6 (10-8) 6-4 to reach the last four, thrilling his large contingent of supporters in New York.

He goes on to face top seed Rafael Nadal, who earlier beat Russian teenager Andrey Rublev.

Del Potro’s victory means Federer and Nadal will end another year having never played each other at the US Open.

Top seed Nadal is now also guaranteed to keep hold of the number one ranking ahead of Federer.

• Nadal thrashes Rublev to reach semis
• Keys makes it all-American semi-final line-up
• Murray likely to miss rest of season

It is the sixth time the pair have been one match from meeting at Flushing Meadows, and their potential semi-final clash had dominated headlines throughout the tournament.

However, an out-of-sorts Federer was no match for Del Potro, who returned 48 hours after his epic five-set win over Dominic Thiem to produce another thrilling victory.

“I honestly was only thinking about tonight,” said Federer, 36.

“My head didn’t even wander during the match. I knew it was going to be a tough one.”

Del Potro, 28, beat Federer to win his only Grand Slam title in New York in 2009, and eight years later he delivered another blow to the 36-year-old on Arthur Ashe Stadium.

“I think I played my best match of the tournament,” said the Argentine.

“I played everything well. My serve was good, I hit my forehands as hard as I possibly could.

“This is my home court too. The fans make me feel happy every time I play here. I hope against Rafa the crowd will be cheering for me again.”

‘I can’t believe I am back’

The Del Potro forehand is among the biggest weapons in the game but his backhand, which has been hampered in recent years after four wrist surgeries, held up superbly.

After the pair split the first two sets with a break apiece, the match turned on a gripping third-set tie-break in which Federer saw four set points slip by.

Del Potro would not be so profligate, hammering a magnificent backhand on his first chance to clinch the set, drawing a huge roar from the Argentine and his supporters high in the stands.

A desperate Federer smash into the bottom of the net drew gasps from the crowd as he offered up a break point at 2-2 in the fourth, which Del Potro snapped up with another blistering backhand return.

Federer’s evening ended with him taking evasive action at the net from a massive Del Potro forehand, and then swinging a wild volley way over the baseline when threatening to break back.

It was Del Potro’s night and, four years after his last Grand Slam semi-final, he closed out the match after two hours and 51 minutes to set up a chance at a second US Open crown.

“I don’t know what the turning point was, maybe I got lucky,” he said. “I can’t believe I am back after all my injuries and surgeries.”

‘I ran into a guy who was better’

The final match statistics were not bad for Federer but he was unexpectedly hesitant, making errors at key moments as he lost his first Grand Slam match of the year.

Having picked up a back injury in the build-up to the US Open, Federer then had to come through two five-set matches in the first two rounds.

“I had struggled too much throughout the tournament to think too far ahead,” he said.

“In some ways I’m actually happy I made the quarters, so I’m not disappointed, because it’s been a good run this year already.

“Unfortunately I ran into a guy who was better than me today.”

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Federer & DelPo Split First Two Sets

Federer & DelPo Split First Two Sets

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