TENNIS US OPEN:ANDY MURRAY declared himself pleased with his performance after seeing off giant American John Isner in four sets to reach the US Open semi-finals in New York last night.
The Scot became only the seventh man in the Open era to reach the last four at all four Grand Slams in a single year with a gripping 7-5 6-4 3-6 7-6 (7/2) victory over the 28th seed.
The world number four follows in the footsteps of Rod Laver, Tony Roche, Ivan Lendl, Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic.
“I played great today, pretty much throughout the match. But he started serving very, very well. Most sets came down to a few points here and there,” said Murray
Murray looked to have Isner in his pocket at two sets up but the 28th seed hit back with some superb tennis in the third and fourth sets before the fourth seed proved the stronger in the tie break. Next up for Murray will be a semi-final against either Nadal or Andy Roddick.
Asked how much he felt had been taken out of him by his exploits so far, the 24-year-old replied: “I’ll have to see how I play tomorrow.
“Three and a half hours in that heat isn’t easy. Hopefully whoever I play will have a long one too so both players are in the same boat tomorrow.
“I don’t mind (who I face). Both will be pretty challenging. I just want to play well and if I play my game I can win the match.”
The men’s final will now be played on Monday night, with the women’s decider taking place tomorrow after heavy rain caused huge disruptions during the week.
Tonight’s women’s semi-final between Serena Williams and Caroline Wozniacki is a mouth-watering clash of former and current world number ones and a chance to restore the natural order of tennis.
Wozniacki is the current world number one but the jury is out on whether she really is the best player in the world as she has yet to win a Grand Slam title.
The 21-year-old girlfriend of Rory McIlroy has been pestered about her right to the number one status for most of the past year and bristles at the suggestion she does not deserve the ranking.
“I don’t care what people think and say or do,” Wozniacki said. “I’m number one in the world at the moment and I’ve been playing well and I have had a great year.”
Wozniacki has dropped one set all tournament and now gets a chance for vindication but the stakes could not be higher.
If she can beat Williams then win the final, the arguments will cease. But if she loses, her status as the world number one will come under even more scrutiny.
Williams is unchallenged as the greatest player of her generation and one of the finest to ever grace the game. The American has 13 Grand Slam titles, including three US Opens, but her ranking has tumbled to 29 given an 11-month lay-off because of health problems.
She has won each of her matches in straight sets but still has a point to prove after leaving her last US Open appearance two years ago with a foul-mouthed tirade against a lineswoman.
Williams was fined and given a two-year probation but the 29-year-old has been on her best behaviour this year.
Williams has won her two previous meetings with Wozniacki but they offer few real guidelines as she needed a third-set tiebreak in Sydney in 2009 while the Dane retired hurt from their meeting at the Tour Championships two years ago.
The winner will almost certainly enter the final as the clear favourite since the bottom half of the draw produced two surprising semi-finalists in Australia’s Sam Stosur and unseeded German Angelique Kerber.
