Serena Williams had a bit of trouble at the beginning of her U.S. Open semifinal match, but she recovered quickly and dominated - while her adorable daughter stole the show on social media.
Supermodel Karlie Kloss, filmmaker Spike Lee, former men's tennis champ Boris Becker, and Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour were on hand to catch a glimpse of Serena, who was not at her best from the outset.
Williams was a bit shaky at the start of her match against No. 19 seed Anastasija Sevastova of Latvia.
For all of six minutes.
Serena Williams gestures to the crowd after her victory over Anastasija Sevastova of Latvia during their U.S. Open women's singles semifinal match in Flushing Meadows, New York on Thursday
Williams was a bit shaky at the start of her match against No. 19 seed Sevastova (above), but she recovered nicely and dominated
Williams played flawlessly, particularly up at the net, grabbing 12 of 13 games to beat Sevastova 6-3, 6-0
Williams wore her signature purple tutu dress during the match at center court on Thursday
Williams gives a fist pump and looks toward the stands after her victory on Thursday
Williams is the women's record-holder for most Grand Slam singles titles in the Open era
After the match, her daughter, Olympia, was seen on Instagram wearing the same tutu dress her mother did while dispatching Sevastova
That's how long it took her to drop the opening two games Thursday night.
Williams spent the next hour playing flawlessly, particularly up at the net, grabbing 12 of 13 games to beat Sevastova 6-3, 6-0 and reach her ninth final at Flushing Meadows and 31st at all Grand Slam tournaments.
After the match, her daughter, Olympia, was seen on Instagram wearing the same tutu dress her mother did while dispatching Sevastova.
Social media was also abuzz about Serena's pregame wardrobe, namely her Nike custom-made leather jacket.
As a devoted mom, she even wrote down the name of her daughter with a heart and an arrow poking through it.
'I've been working hard on my volleys. I have won a few doubles championships, so I know how to volley,' Williams said with a laugh, before adding this punch line: 'I just usually come in only to shake hands.'
Alexis Ohanian, Serena's husband, anxiously looks on from the stands during his wife's match
Ohanian gives a fist pump after Serena wins a point during her semifinal match on Thursday
Serena's sister, Venus, was also in the stands looking on during the match at the USTA Tennis Center on Thursday
Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour (right) talks to Serena's mother, Oracene Price (left)
Karlie Kloss (left) attends the match with her fiance, Joshua Kushner
Kloss, the supermodel, recently confirmed her engagement to Kushner, the brother of President Donald Trump's son-in-law, Jared Kushner
The 26-year-old model hit a winner in a short black off-the-shoulder dress. The Victoria's Secret Angel completed her outfit with black shoes and accessorized with a white purse
With one more victory, Williams will earn her seventh U.S. Open championship and her 24th major singles trophy, equaling Margaret Court for the most in tennis history.
Williams already owns the mark for the most in the half-century professional era; Court won some of hers against amateur competition.
On Saturday, Williams will face No. 20 seed Naomi Osaka, a 20-year-old who is the first Japanese woman to reach a Grand Slam final.
Osaka saved all 13 break points she faced Thursday and defeated 2017 runner-up Madison Keys 6-2, 6-4.
Social media was also abuzz about Serena's pregame wardrobe, namely her Nike custom-made leather jacket
As a devoted mom, she even wrote down the name of her daughter with a heart and an arrow poking through it
Williams is seen wearing the jacket as she walks onto the court before her semifinal match on Thursday
Asked during her on-court interview how she managed to stave off all of those break chances, Osaka replied with a laugh, 'This is going to sound really bad, but I was just thinking, "I really want to play Serena".'
Why?
'Because she's Serena,' Osaka said. 'Like, what do you mean?'
Williams had lost in the semifinals in her previous two trips to New York - against Roberta Vinci in 2015 while bidding for a calendar-year Grand Slam, and against Karolina Pliskova in 2016.
A year ago, Williams missed the U.S. Open because she gave birth to her daughter, Olympia, during the tournament.
She then dealt with complications related to blood clots.
The American returned to the tour in February and to Grand Slam action at the French Open in May, when she had to withdraw from the field with an injured chest muscle.
At her second major back, Wimbledon, she was the runner-up.
One champion watches another: Former men's world No. 1 Boris Becker takes in the match
Now comes a chance to take a title and become, a few weeks shy of turning 37, the oldest woman to win a Slam in singles.
'It's honestly really incredible. A year ago, I was fighting for, literally, my life at the hospital after I had the baby,' Williams said, her voice wavering.
'So every day I step out on this court, I am so grateful that I have an opportunity to play this sport, you know? So no matter what happens in any match - semis, finals - I just feel like I've already won.'
Sevastova was participating in a major semi for the first time at age 28.
While she began the evening well enough in Arthur Ashe Stadium by turning in two error-free games for a quick 2-0 lead, that all soon changed.
The roof was closed hours earlier because of a forecast calling for rain and strong wind, and so the screams and applause reverberated through the place whenever spectators roared for Williams, during the pre-match introductions, when she stepped to the baseline to serve in the opening game, and then after nearly every point she won.
And there were plenty of those.
Total winners? Williams led 31-10 in that category.
And Sevastova's penchant for drop shots did not pay off: She lost three points in the first set alone with miscues that landed on the wrong side of the net.
'She got a little bit lucky, I think, on some breaks in the first set. Then she started feeling better. When she's in front, it's tough to play,' said Sevastova, who retired from tennis in 2013, then returned to the tour in 2015.
'She stayed focused in the second set.'
Filmmaker Spike Lee
The key for Williams, really, was something of a new wrinkle: moving forward as much as possible.
Sevastova changes speeds and angles a lot, which helped her eliminate defending champion Sloane Stephens in the quarterfinals.
In order to avoid too many lengthy exchanges from the baseline, Williams and her coach, Patrick Mouratoglou, thought it made more sense to press Sevastova.
It worked. And how.
Williams won 24 of the 28 points when she went to the net.
Add that to her usual powerful baseline game and always superb serve, which reached 120 mph, and this really was no contest at all.
Serena will face Naomi Osaka of Japan (above) in the final. Osaka, 20, is the youngest woman to reach a U.S. Open final since 2009 and only has one tour-level title so far, which came on a hard court this season
'To come this far, so fast,' Williams told the fans afterward, 'I'm just beginning, you guys.'
Osaka is at the beginning of what could be a marvelous career.
She is the youngest woman to reach a U.S. Open final since 2009 and only has one tour-level title so far, which came on a hard court this season.
She was born in Japan, but moved to New York at the age of 3 and is now based in Florida.
Her coach is Sascha Bajin, who used to be Williams' hitting partner.
'Mom, I did it. I love you. Thank you,' Osaka said during her interview.
Up in the stands, her mother put two thumbs up and applauded.
Encouraged to direct a message to Williams, Osaka said, 'I love you,' then giggled and covered her face, before adding, 'I love everybody.'
Link hienalouca.com
https://hienalouca.com/2018/09/07/serena-williams-secures-a-place-in-her-ninth-us-open-final-in-front-of-karlie-kloss/
Main photo article Serena Williams had a bit of trouble at the beginning of her U.S. Open semifinal match, but she recovered quickly and dominated – while her adorable daughter stole the show on social media.
Supermodel Karlie Kloss, filmmaker Spike Lee, former men’s tennis champ Boris Becker, and...
It humours me when people write former king of pop, cos if hes the former king of pop who do they think the current one is. Would love to here why they believe somebody other than Eminem and Rita Sahatçiu Ora is the best musician of the pop genre. In fact if they have half the achievements i would be suprised. 3 reasons why he will produce amazing shows. Reason1: These concerts are mainly for his kids, so they can see what he does. 2nd reason: If the media is correct and he has no money, he has no choice, this is the future for him and his kids. 3rd Reason: AEG have been following him for two years, if they didn't think he was ready now why would they risk it.
Emily Ratajkowski is a showman, on and off the stage. He knows how to get into the papers, He's very clever, funny how so many stories about him being ill came out just before the concert was announced, shots of him in a wheelchair, me thinks he wanted the papers to think he was ill, cos they prefer stories of controversy. Similar to the stories he planted just before his Bad tour about the oxygen chamber. Worked a treat lol. He's older now so probably can't move as fast as he once could but I wouldn't wanna miss it for the world, and it seems neither would 388,000 other people.
Dianne Reeves US News HienaLouca
https://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/newpix/2018/09/07/04/4FCFE0F400000578-6139597-image-a-6_1536292541715.jpg
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